


Red Roses

by birdie7272



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Dark, Drama, Evil Buffy, Evil Vampires, F/M, Het and Slash, Horror, Lemon, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Multi, Murder, Pregnancy Death, Romance, Scoobie Hate, Smut, Spuffy, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Swearing, Torture, Vampire Buffy, Violence, dubcon, noncon, seriously - dark.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 05:18:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 40
Words: 264,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdie7272/pseuds/birdie7272
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy was resurrected by her friends using some dark, dark magic.  All magic has its price.  They paid the price in the form of Buffy coming back as the undead thing she used to kill.  With a vengeance against the living, it’s time the world paid her back for all she did.  Now she has the power to make it so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is written by request for Emolichic1 on FanFiction. I will give credit when it is due. The prompt is from her a - "40 chapter Spuff fic set in S6 of Btvs and during Buffy's resurrection. Buffy comes out of the grave a Vampire and"- anything else I say will give it away. I'll let you know the details she asked for when it comes up in the story. (Sorry if you're not a she, I just assume everyone is on FF). I'll put the full prompt at the end too.
> 
> To start - it is (mostly) cannon for when Buffy first comes back but then we go my way from there. This first and second chapter pretty much are the layout for her return and therefore repeats a lot of the episodes, for those of us who didn't watch it yesterday. Then we twist and shout.
> 
> Warnings for this story as a whole (I'll warn chapter specifics only if someone PMs me or asks in a review): It is E for a reason.  
> Warnings for pretty much everything except drugs and even then I can't guarantee the demon world won't have a little something-something going on. There will be; violence, major character deaths, pregnancy death, murder in general, swearing, smut, lemons, noncon, dubcon, evil vampiric acts, torture, suicide, suicide thoughts, etc.
> 
> Spuffy oriented (hints at other het/slashing- all cannon).
> 
> This is not beta-ed so the grammar mistakes will be my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Angel.

Black.

Everything was utterly and completely black. Not a speck of light anywhere.

Buffy reached out, her hand collided with a hard surface very close above her. She tried to think about where she was but she didn't know. The last thing she remembered was falling. Jumping. She had been jumping to her death, to save Dawn. Then there was something...something peaceful. Inexplicably peaceful.

That was not what she was feeling now.

She could feel the cushion she was laying on, a hand out to either side and she hit another hard surface. Blindly fondling about didn't help anything. She was enclosed in something small. Very small. Very dark. That was all she could tell.

What was going on?

She tried to look down at herself, crooking her sore neck up, but all she could see was more black everywhere. Images started to float around the corners of her eyes but she couldn't see them long enough to make out what they were.

Wasn't she dead? Did she die again? Was she dreaming?

Where was she?

She pushed out both hands again and shoved as hard as she could on every surface she could reach. Nothing. Nothing happened.

Buffy could hear her breathing quicken but she couldn't feel it. She tried breathing in deep but no matter how deep she breathed, she couldn't feel it. Thick air entered her lungs and her chest rose but something was missing. There was nothing coming out of it. It was just a movement. It was like the air was just gone. Panic flowed through her at the thought that she had run out of oxygen already. Who knew how long she had been stuck in the small space or if it even had air flowing into it at all?

Squeezing her eyes shut she tried to calm herself and figure out what was around her. If she could determine what it was around her, what she was trapped in, maybe then she could find out where she was.

The more she relaxed, the more scratching filled her ear drums. Small movements stuck out somewhere around her. She could hear nothing else. No cars, no people, no wind. Just small scratching.

She reached out and knocked on the hard surface at her side. It all rebounded back to her, making her head hurt in return. Nothing made a noise outside where she was trapped. It was like she was closed in something. A box of some kind.

Gently she ran a hand on the surface above her and froze. A slim layer of fabric covered the top of the very hard and small box she was trapped in. Enough to fit a single human. She had looked at enough of these for her mother to know what it was.

Coffin.

She slid her hands up her body, running against the fabric of whatever she was wearing, not remembering ever owning a dress like that, to rest her fingers on her face. Cold and hard flesh danced under her fingertips. She was all there. Cool, thick breaths fell on her hands and she knew she was breathing. She could feel it not just inside herself. Why did it feel so different?

She felt okay, no injuries on her body. Quite the opposite actually. With each muscle she tensed she could feel the power that flowed. Her body was really starting to wake up under her and she needed to get out of the damn coffin. She knew she would run out of air soon if she didn't get out. She needed to stretch. Everything was just too close.

Frantically she started to rip away the fabric above her body and feel for the lid of her coffin. Over and over she just kept thinking; _I'm dead. Where am I? I'm dead. Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare?_

The fabric tore and she frantically started punching up. Her arm wouldn't bend properly in the confined space and it took her multiple tries before she could break through the surface. She punched again and again feeling the material start to crack along with the skin on her knuckles.

Dirt and blood started to rain down over her, landing in places she just couldn't see. She punched again and again until her hand came through to the damp dirt on the other side. She pulled her hand down and more and more dirt flooded over her. She reached her other hand up and ripped at the hole to tear away more and more of the lid.

Wave after wave crashed over her, muddling her ears with the overwhelming sound. She scrambled her legs up into herself, pushing the dirt down towards her feet, as fast as she could. With her hands she pulled more and more down on top of her, pushing the dirt down until there was no more room. She took a deep breath and curled up as much as she could and started digging her way up.

Stroke after stroke she used as much of her strength as she had to push the dirt down to fill the space she had just come. Dirt was everywhere, filling and colliding into every one of her pores.

It seemed hopeless. She was sure to die again. No light was coming. It was just the dark and the sound of her pathetic struggling, the sound of the dirt that fell into her eardrums.

Slowly she inched herself up and up knowing any moment she would pass out from lack of oxygen even if she wasn't yet feeling it. It had to be the adrenaline. She was a slayer after all. She was used to having extra.

Using all that adrenaline she wormed her way up until her hand punched through another surface to be greeted by empty space. Desperately she punched up with her other hand to feel the same emptiness and pulled herself the rest of the way, letting the dirt fall to the spaces below her. She scrambled up and up until her head popped through and behind closed eyes she could see the blistering amount of light. She opened her mouth and gasped in a breath, still feeling no relief, just sucking in some of the dirt caked onto her lips. Before she could give it a second thought she scrambled the rest of the way out and pulled herself onto the grass.

Turning over and trying to blink away the dirt, the shapes started to form. Trees came into focus along with the source of the blinding light; the moon.

Her first thought was that the moon should not have been that blisteringly bright but she decided it had to of been because of coming from such blackness. Any light would seem blinding after that.

She rolled to her side and sat up. As exhausted as her body should have felt, it wasn't. Everything was still screaming adrenaline. She knew she needed to move. She couldn't stay. She wasn't sure why but she knew she had to get away. To be somewhere. She needed something. She just couldn't think of what that something was. She couldn't really think straight at all.

She pushed up off the ground aware of the now evident pain throbbing in her head. She tried to swallow it down but it only made it worse. Bringing a hand to her face she slid her fingertips down trying to determine the source. When they slid down her chin to her neck she could feel it. Her head was hurting because of something in her neck. It was so dry, burning. She needed something to drink really badly.

That was probably all it was. Dehydration. Who knew how long she had been trapped down there?

But where was there?

Looking back at the hole she crawled out of she could see the small plaque heading what she could now determine as her grave.

_Buffy Anne Summers_

_1981-2001_

_Beloved Sister_

_Devoted Friend_

_She Saved The World A Lot_

So she was dead. That was her name chipped into that stone. Those were words her friends and family picked out for her to be recognized for, so anyone passing by may have a glimpse of who she was as her flesh decayed beneath their feat. Decaying away because she was dead.

Where did she go after she died? Where was she now? How did she wake up down there?

She started to hyperventilate, as would be expected at looking at your own headstone, but she was fine. Her breaths came quick and fast but she was centered in being okay. There was no lightheadedness.

She looked around some more for any kind of clue but couldn't tell where she was. It wasn't any of the graveyards she could remember patrolling at her time in Sunnydale. Who was to say she was still there?

Small noises kept sounding from around her. She looked around for the source, darting her gaze in and out of trees. She was surprised by how much she could see moving about. A squirrel, an owl, an ant. How the hell did she hear an ant? But there it was climbing up and over a branch. Her ears must have been sensitive from lack of use.

She had to get out of there. She had to figure out where she was and she knew she had to be somewhere. There was something or someone. Someone she had to meet?

Pushing off the ground she just started walking. Woods surrounded her but she had no trouble maneuvering in and out. Her eyes darted everywhere checking for any predators in the area. It was surprising how much energy she had. She just wanted to run and do what she needed to do. Whatever that was.

After clearing the dark woods she could tell she was in Sunnydale after all. Or some form of it.

Everything was wrong.

There were turned over cars, broken glass, abandoned bikes. Fires were started littering the sidewalks, cars, and buildings. They emitted a harsher glow than normal and the heat was burning too intensely. It had to of been some sort of chemical fire for how hot they were. She had to dodge a path around each of them every time she saw one lighting up in the distance.

Her senses were too intense for her. Every light was still completely overwhelming, making it hard to make anything out. She could actually hear the fires crackling and the glass breaking off in the distance, falling down on the hard pavement below. Then there was the smell.

Every smell was so overwhelming. The smoke from the fires was harsh, burning her nose. Gasoline added into the mix clouding around her eyes. There was something else. Something that bubbled over everything else. Something almost metallic but savory. She couldn't tell what it was or what source it was coming from but it was everywhere. It was all so confusing.

A ripping, roaring sound screamed in her ears and she too screamed out loud, slamming both hands over her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something coming fast. The horrible noise was getting closer and closer until it roared right past her, accompanied by the sound of something breaking. She couldn't make out what it was as it moved so fast but it left.

She kept walking, still not knowing exactly where she was meant to go, just that she had to get there while still avoiding the harsh orange glow of the fires. She walked down a different street and walked and walked until she could start to make things out again. It was just dark enough that she could see the car in the driveway. She didn't know whose driveway it was or if anyone was even there but she knew she needed to figure out where she was so she could make it to wherever she was going. She turned against the car to try and calm her pounding head so she could see clearer but then a horrible shrieking started.

She covered her ears again, screaming to herself as the beeping of the car sounded in her ears, effectively stalling her. A blinding light shined in the direction she was looking and she screamed again, slamming her eyes shut. Then came the smell. Some kind of overwhelming smell. It was that metallic but savory one. Her first thoughts were that whoever was in that house was making some kind of roast as her mouth watered. She wanted nothing more than to run to that smell. Screw whatever she had been running towards. Screw the sound ringing in her ears and the light blinding her. She needed to get to that smell.

The cocking of a gun was distinctive even with her ears covered. Someone was screaming and she couldn't tell what about. She just knew someone was there, standing in that light, holding a gun. She chose to ignore the part of her pushing towards that smell in favor of getting somewhere quiet and much less bright. She couldn't do a damn thing with all that going on around her.

She started to run and finally walk again thought the pain followed her everywhere. While she expected her heart to be pounding in her ears, all she could hear were the noises of the world around her.

It had to be hell. She had to be stuck there as an outsider. Some kind of phantom. Doomed to be dead and yet sensitive to everything around her. She obviously wasn't herself. Everywhere she turned just brought more pain. Yet she had to keep walking. Keep moving. That calling was getting stronger and stronger as she walked back into town. More fires sprung up and she avoided them and their heat but still had to push forwards.

Figures started to shape themselves in the distance. There was talking. She couldn't make out what they were saying as her ears were still ringing but she could hear words. The first words she heard in this place and she couldn't even tell what they were.

She walked closer to distinguish the noises and as she did the shapes became clearer. There was a horrible fire with monstrous heat behind them but she ignored it to see what was going on. She was directly behind the figures when she saw the grotesque and twisted face of some kind of monster. She was used to seeing monsters, when she was alive, but it didn't help her theory about this not being hell. The demon looking thing was an odd greenish pale with oddly shaped ears and face that looked like it was held together with leather straps. The rest of him was decked out in a cliché biker gang getup and, looking around, she could see the rest of the figures looked the same.

The slayer in her told her to fight these things but something was keeping her there. She didn't know where she was. What if she fought them and killed them and that was wrong? Would that make hell even worse?

She could finally understand a few words coming from the weird demon's mouth. "Gentlemen, start your engines!" She looked in the direction he pointed something shining silver, a gun if she focused hard. To her left she could see...herself. Tied up and chained to other demons on motorcycles. She looked calm, almost confused. She wasn't wearing the old black dress she had on but something brighter, like one of the outfits she wore when she was alive. "Bye, bye, slayer."

A deafening blast went off from the gun and more terrible noises started up and she had to cover her ears yet again. She kept her scream inside as she watching herself, chained to the bikes. It looked like she was trying to say something but the motorcycles moved too quickly and her body was ripped apart.

It was hell. It had to be. She was watching her body be drawn and quartered and she could almost feel it happen to herself. Limb separated from socket, pulled apart until severed. It was a fascinating concept but terrible to see when it was her own body. A small scream escaped her lips without her permission and every demon turned to face her.

With her eyes still on the horror scene in front of her she noticed something wasn't right. That wasn't her body. Bits of metal flew from her sockets, not blood or muscle. What was going on?

"Another one for the fire boys." The gravely tone of the demon biker's voice reached her ears and she looked around at the monsters all starting to giggle around her. She didn't like what he said. Some deep instinct in her said it was very bad that he phrased it like that. Something about the fire was wrong. "Tear it up."

She ran.

She felt like she was fighting herself. She wanted to go back. She wanted to laugh in the demon's faces and rip them all to shreds but again, she didn't know what was going on. In fight or flight, flight won out.

The sounds followed her as they rode their bikes towards her. Tires screeching against pavement followed her as she ran until another light cut her off, coming her way. She looked at both motorcycles, cutting her off from both directions, and ducked as she could hear a metal clanging whipping against wind in the air. The metal chain of one cyclist wrapped around the other and pulled him from his bike causing them both to crash.

She rolled away with a second glance and ran. Unending energy had her running and running from the demons and closer and closer to that thing she needed to get to. Whatever it was.

Motorcycles were fast though and just as another was coming quick on her heals she bounded, easily jumping over a dumpster and filliping over a chain-link fence. It was clumsy for her as she still was getting used to the attack on her senses but she landed on the ground still conscious and with a wall between her and her attackers.

As she moved forward and jumped over another small fence, she had to stop as she was pounded with the smell. It clouded all around her. That metallic, savory, now spicy smell that burned her throat in a way smoke never could. She stood to face four figures standing in front of her each wafting that sent towards her.

"It's the Buffybot."

She took a moment to adjust to the new light, ignoring the words spoken in her direction, and adjusted to the smell before scanning each face and seeing; Tara, Xander, Anya, and Willow.

Another kick of adrenaline rushed into her as she looked them each over and understood who they were. She did not need them at the moment. She would rather deal with the headache she had than start a new one.

"Ah. Peachy." Xander's voice. "No doubt to lead the wild bunch right to us again. Hey Will, next time this thing is damaged couldn't ya program it to find the nearest Radio Shack or…"

The smell kicked into overdrive as Willow's name was called and she lost herself to the stinging in her throat. Her mouth started to water as they each walked closer to her, Willow leading the way.

"Buffy?" She could hear as each of them gasped, as each of them turned to face her, as each of their hearts leapt.

How could they be there? What was going on? Why did they smell like that?

Buffy ignored the primal need to herd them all up and start getting answers to run again. She didn't like not knowing what was going on and the presence of the friends she had before she died only made it worse. What if this was a trick?

They all called out her name and she ran faster. She didn't want to talk to them. She wasn't inexplicably happy to see them. She didn't even know who they were. They could be demons or tricksters. She didn't want them around.

They ran after her, each calling out in concern over their friend, only just realizing the spell must have worked. Their hearts leapt, Willow's a bit more as she realized just what this meant. She didn't fail. She brought back Buffy. She brought her best friend back from the dead.

Buffy ran until there was nowhere to go. She was stuck in another ally. A dead end. So she hid. She crouched in a corner, a prime spot for attack if needed. Her mind was slowly coming back to her but she still didn't understand what the hell was going on. Being ready to fight seemed like a good idea.

They found her and each huddled around the easy exit as Willow walked forward, speaking softly at her as if she was a lost child.

"Buffy? Buffy are you-?" Willow didn't know how to ask that question. Of course she wasn't okay. So she continued to try and ground her, without frightening her off. "It's Willow. Can you hear me?"

Buffy only stared blankly at everyone looking at her. Another sort of heat rippled through them, accompanied by that smell. She opened her mouth a bit to ask but promptly shut it as the pain in her throat kicked into a maddening need in her head. She was so thirsty. And something kept rushing. Thumping. It was hypnotizing. None of it made sense. It sounded like a heartbeat or multiple at that but her heart was perfectly fine. Or at least she thought so. She couldn't exactly hear her own heart.

"What's wrong with her?" Anya asked, half hiding behind Xander's arm at the uncomfortable feeling coming off of her friend returned from the dead.

"Nothing! She- She's- She's in shock." Willow said it more for her own sake than for the truth as she was the one who sounded in shock. She was.

It had to be true though. She knew people went through shock. This had to of been what it looked like. There was no other explanation. Buffy was fine she was just shocked. This was normal. This would be expected.

"Her hands are bleeding." Tara pointed out shaking her head. She knew better. This was not okay. This was not expected. They used big magic and something was wrong. She could feel it. "Her fingers…"

Buffy looked down at her own hands as if to see what Tara was talking about. There, glowing in the moonlight, was the red liquid seeping from her knuckles. Funny. She remembered them breaking open but didn't remember them hurting.

"She's fine." Willow tried again as Xander shook his head, realizing what had happened.

"Oh no." He said out loud still shaking his head, getting angrier and angrier at himself and his friends with every move. How could they not see this? How could they do this to her?

"What?" Willow asked, still in her own state of shock.

"No." Xander continued to stare at what they did as Buffy continued to stare at him, unblinking and watching his every move. "How could we…be so…so _stupid_!"

"Xander!" Willow yelled, looking back at Buffy to make sure she was still okay. Buffy just looked at her, still unmoving, still not blinking.

"Our spell. Our resurrection spell worked like a magic charm. We brought you back to life Buffy…right where we left her." He turned to his friends to explain what they just weren't getting and horror spread across their faces.

"Oh god." Willow whispered out in horror, falling back towards Tara automatically for support who enveloped her in her arms.

"In her coffin." Xander continued to explain though the horror was obvious.

Buffy watched eagerly as they came to that conclusion, somehow relishing in the guilt coming off them in waves. It started to make sense in her mind though everything was still muddled about in there. So she was dead. Her friends brought her back. They brought her to this hell with a spell.

"She had to dig out of her own grave." Tara said aloud as if to make it more real to herself. What had they done?

"Buffy." Xander leaned forwards towards her crouching figure and Buffy leaned back from him, jumping at how much heat was coming from his body. "Buffy it's Xander! We're sorry. We didn't know. Buffy!"

"You aren't reaching her. She's too traumatized." Tara tried to call Xander away, still keeping her hands on Willow in support.

Anya pulled Xander away and walked straight forwards, crouching in front of the crouching Buffy. Again the heat was extremely close but this time Buffy didn't move away. Instead she listened as the thumping grew louder and that smell seemed more intense than before.

"Hey Buffy. Here's some good news that might perk you right up! Xander and I have an announcement-"

"Anya!" Xander pulled her away scolding her for almost spilling the beans about their secret engagement.

"What? I'm just trying to help."

"Buffy." Xander leaned down again. "It's gonna be alright. We brought you back. You're home now. Yeah, that's it. You're home."

"Yeah. Welcome home slayer. Alive and kicking after all." The gravelly voice of that demon reached her ears again. "Well, alive anyway. Not looking too good though is she?"

"I don't see you winning too many beauty contests." Xander replied, always with the smart remark. "Unless the ' _Miss My Face Fell Off_ ' gets going."

"Big axe you got there."

"Better to cut you down to size grandma."

"Incindere." Tara lifted a hand and a ball of fire leapt from in front of the demon. Buffy recoiled at the unwanted flames but stayed in her fighting stance to watch what would happen next.

"So you got a witch in the mix." The demon growled out.

"More than one." Tara said confidently even knowing Willow was just about juiced.

"I happen to be a very powerful manwitch myself. Or male…is it a warlock?" He turned quick to Willow who nodded just as fast in return. "Warlock."

"Plus we have a slayer here." Anya chimed in, trying to help. "Um. Who might actually be looking to eat some brains so… I think a little quiet moseying, no hard feelings, and I'm sure your demon horde won't think any the less of you."

"Now my boy see that's tricky. They came looking for a massacre. And I think you got exactly enough magic between you for a kiddy birthday party."

Willow stepped forward, defiance in her eyes. She knew just how powerful she was. She just raised her best friend from the dead. "Then you'd be wrong."

"Whoa. Well I better back off or you might what? Pull a rabbit out of a hat?"

"Don't do that!" Anya, hearing the name rabbit started to panic. "Why would she do that?"

"Look, we don't want trouble." Willow continued to try and reason with the demons, as if she ever could. "You don't want trouble."

"Of course we want trouble. We're demons. We're really all about trouble."

"Not this kind."

"Oh, I get your point." The demon rounded back his fist and slammed it across Willow's face sending her flying towards the pile of rubbish Buffy was leaning next to. Willow's heat was intense above her. Morse so than any of the others.

Willow was burning.

Xander ran forward with his axe, easily thrown on his back. Anya ran towards him to help him up and Tara ran to help Willow. Willow was out cold as Tara turned her body over. Something about Willow was different. Something that drew Buffy's eyes. Something that made her realize she was no longer seeking that thing that had been calling her. This was it. This smell and the feel Willow gave off. It was what was pulling her. But why? If only she could get her alone, she would know. Tara was crowding that feeling. Even standing up against the wall to get closer didn't help to bring it back.

"Now let me tell you something children. We're not gonna fight you. We're just gonna hold you down and enjoy ourselves for a few hours. You might even live through it. Except that certain of my boys got some anatomical incompatibilities that ah, tend to tear up a girl, so, who wants to go first?" Buffy rolled her eyes and walked forwards to stand in front of the demon. This meeting was going very unproductively and she wanted to move on in matters. All that was going through her mind were the smells of the people around her, the thoughts that didn't make sense, and the horrible pain in her head and throat. "I was really hoping it'd be you." He reached out and slapped her against the face causing it to spin in the other direction, her dirt-matted hair clinging to the side of her face. She reached her tongue out and felt the crack the slap caused to open in her lip. The sting of the blood rushed out of her and caressed against the tip of her tongue.

Something snapped inside her.

She turned back to the demon with a smile on her face. He tried to punch out again but she easily caught his fist in her hand and landed a punch of her own. All that extra energy she had from lying around dead fueled her as she continued to fight demon after demon that came after her.

First it was just knocking their leader to the ground, bitch slapping him across the face a few times with her powerful strokes.

"Does this mean we win?" Anya half pleaded as Willow started to wake and all humans watched Buffy lose it on the monsters.

If killing the demons meant hell would get worse, consequences be damned.

She was having fun.

Another demon ran straight at her so she kicked up high and landed her foot in his jaw, sending him flying. She smiled to herself again and turned to face another coming at her side. She easily blocked him and punched him in his squishy gut, sending him to the floor.

The others started to join the fight, holding off the other demons but Buffy had whoever came.

Another demon came at her and she landed a punch across his face, grunting to herself as she did. Another came and more punches were thrown. A demon holding a knife was stopped by someone setting off the crossbow and sending an arrow straight through his stomach.

More came at Buffy and she stopped every blow, kicking and punching, even throwing one demon into another just for the fun of it. They both fell to the ground as another came running at her and she simply stepped to the side, almost too easy in defeating it.

Those that fell stood up again coming back for her. She only chuckled at them as she barely tried, flinging out an arm to send one spinning and punching the next that came. She grinned at the crunch their bones made as her fists fractured their jaws and ribs.

Four ganged up on her and all had something in their hand hitting her. She stood there, only blocking her face, as every other blow did nothing. She barely felt any of it. She giggled again before leaning down and shoving them all away at once, grabbing their weapons and flinging them away.

It was never ending as she kicked another in his groin, stealing a bat from another attacker and hitting it with the first, sending them both off their feet and to the ground. The same demons started to circle her and she fended them off with more gleeful blows as others attacked the humans.

Xander kicked one away from him and Anya as Tara and Willow helped each other with another.

Buffy used the knife of one demon to cut down another and grimaced at the odd smell that hit her nose. That demon smelled bad. She looked down to the one in her arms and grinned before snapping its neck between her hands and letting it drop to the ground.

"Well they wanted a massacre." Tara ironically pointed out as they all grouped back together, all demons having been killed or fled.

Buffy could distinctly smell Willow walking up behind her and standing in front of the rest of the group. What was it about her that made her feel so different? Odd that she could now discern her smell over the others.

"She's Buffy." Xander said smiling. "She's herself again. You're back Buffy, you really are." He tried to walk forward but he was masked in the smell of the demons. Buffy stepped back and looked at Willow wondering how the others could smell so vulgar and yet she had that alluring savory sent. What was different about her? "Whoa. Whoa." Xander tried to coax her down, misinterpreting her disgust with fright.

She couldn't stand the smell anymore. She had to get out of there. She could figure out what was going on with Willow later. All she knew was that she was dead, she was alive again, this was some kind of hell or dream or mirage, and that she was hopped up after that fight. The details she knew she could figure out later. Words she were told were still not sitting right in her mind. She couldn't just sit around to answer questions or ask her own. So she ran. That seemed to be a pattern.

"Buffy!"

She could hear footsteps behind her and turned ready to run the other way to get away from Xander or Willow but the smell was wrong. It was another demon trying to sneak up on her. She turned and stopped its attack spinning it around and slamming it against a pipe sticking up in some more garbage. Blood trickled down from the hole the pole made in its body and the stench of the demon reached her nose again. She covered her nose with the back of her hand and started running.

She didn't know where she was running to until she got there. She climbed and climbed and climbed until she was to the top of the tower she ran off of. Jumped off of. The jump that killed her. Or what she thought did.

She sat there overlooking the wreckage where she remembered jumping into that ball of light, to save everyone, like she always did. There was the realization that her death would equal Dawn's. The goodbye she tried for. How sad she was to leave everyone behind. She tried to remember beyond that. How did this all happen?

She jumped. She died. There was some kind of light and then there was this peace. She remembered feeling content, like she was floating, just happy and without worry. She knew everyone she loved was alright and they were safe. She didn't have a care in the world.

Then she woke up to black. Complete and utter darkness. She dug out of that into the world of loud noises and demons and exceptionally strange and dangerous fires. She had trouble with her breathing, still there. There was extra sensitivity to everything and it muddled her mind. She was still blindingly thirsty and her head still hurt like mad. The only thing that seemed to dull it for a moment was killing those demons. She was still pent up on that energy, even after that fight, though it was less powerful.

Then there was the fact that she was oddly drawn to Willow. It was like she was connected to her in some way. How else could she have found her?

Willow and every other one of them smelled like that sent that was making her throat even more dry. It didn't make sense at all. They were all so warm and smelled so much, they had to of had something wrong with them. Maybe something happened to them. Maybe it was just part of the hell.

Something happened to her. They did this to her. They brought her back. They were the ones that ripped her from that pleasant state and dragged her down to the fire. That much she knew. As long as they were who they said they were.

"Buffy?" Her thoughts were stopped short as she heard steps coming up the metal stairs and Dawn's distinctive voice reached her ears. She had almost forgotten she would be there. Well not there as in the top of the tower but as in Sunnydale.

She turned to see her little sister cautiously standing near the edge of the stairs. She looked her over, her eyesight adjusted and her head calmed slightly beyond the headache. That smell was there and the heat, just like the others.

"Buffy? How?" Dawn's whispers didn't go past her ears. Her eyes were tearing up but Buffy felt no urge to run to comfort her. In fact she wished to be left alone with her thoughts more. She just needed to think and she couldn't do that with a bratty sister asking her questions she was trying to figure the answers to.

"Is it you?" Dawn asked hopefully, not deterred by Buffy's muteness. She couldn't believe her eyes. When she had been staring up at the tower, she was almost too hopeful that it was her sister somehow. She almost thought she was hallucinating having just seen the Buffybot die. The last Buffy gone. Now there was another looking just like herself. She was wearing the black dress Dawn had picked for her to be buried in. The necklace was even one she picked out herself. Just a simple silver cross for Buffy to be protected by. "I mean really? What are you-?" Dawn started to walk forward and the entire tower started to shift making a bearable but annoyingly loud groan.

Buffy easily kept her balance but glared at Dawn for making her have to. She didn't think she would survive another fall like that. She really didn't the first time. Buffy turned to look out at the pavement beneath her. Yes, that was too far a fall. But it did give her a tiny adrenaline rush to think of what she would feel on the way down. Memories of her last jump, all her muscles tightened, her heart thumping, her breath hitching. Speaking of hearts thumping and breaths hitching…

"No!" Dawn screeched out, thinking Buffy was going to jump again. She couldn't stand to lose her again. Even if she wasn't really real. She couldn't stand to see any version of her jump. Not again. "Don't!" Buffy turned to glare at the stupidity of Dawn who was still gripping the side of the tower like it would save her if it all fell down. "Don't jump Buffy! Don't move! Just walk to me. Please! Please. I'm your sister. Dawn. We were up here. Together. And then you went away. And you don't wanna do that again. I don't know how you're back. But you are. And please, just stay still." Dawn started to walk out on the rail-less plank towards her older sister and again it moved beneath her, groaning loud.

Something churned in Buffy's stomach. She didn't want any part of Dawn at that moment. She wanted to be alone and within two minutes Dawn had already ruined that. She broke the fucking tower. How was she supposed to think up there now?

She could hear that thumping noise jump up a notch and could hear Dawn's breath panting. She could smell extra spices mixing in with that metallic one. Surprisingly she founded she wanted more of that. That, now that was good. She would have to find out how to get it.

"Or move! But towards me. Cus the tower was built by crazy people and I don't think it's holding up very well! Talk to me." Buffy ignored her. "Say something!"

"Is this hell?" Buffy asked simply, thinking that would be a good question to shut Dawn up. It was a legitimate question too. While things had started to clear and reality started to settle in, there was still the possibility that this was some horrible nightmare in her pleasant place or she was dragged back down to hell. Hell on earth would also count as hell.

Dawn only stared at the horrible question she heard from Buffy, confused if that was the actual question or a trick of the wind. Buffy, annoyed, turned back on her heels, pumps actually, and asked again. "Is this hell?"

"No! Buffy no!" Dawn shook her head and the tears formed quicker and quicker. Buffy sneered, though it went unnoticed. So this wasn't hell then. So hell on earth it was. And she was probably expected to save the day. Again. If this Dawn wasn't lying that was. "You're here. With me. Whatever happened to you. Whatever you've been through, it's- it's over now. You're-!" Another scream came from Dawn as the tower moved again. Buffy didn't even scream. If she was back in this hell hole, expected to save the day over and over again, why would she want to stay? She already knew death wasn't that bad. Pleasant even if her broken memories proved anything. "We have to get off of this tower!"

Buffy shook her head at her sister's screaming, trying to rid that pain in her head and sort through her muddled thoughts yet again. It would be so easy to jump and to go back to where she was. She wouldn't be brought back after a good old suicide. She could go back and not have to save these people. She wouldn't have to save anyone. Just float.

"Buffy." Dawn cried. "Please, listen to me. You told me I had to be strong. And I've tried. But it's been so hard without you. I'm sorry. I promise I'll do better. I will! If you're with me. Stay with me. Please. I need you to live. Live. For h-" Another screamed ripped through Dawn as some metal junk fell from above her head and landed behind her. Another wave of that powerful smell drifted over to Buffy and her eyes flew open as it sent a rush through her. "Buffy!" Dawn screamed as Buffy turned towards her.

Buffy started walking back to Dawn's huddled figure across the plank. All that smell was Dawn but how was it? She walked quicker towards her, something bubbling up inside and grabbed onto her arms to pull her up to see better. Warmth spread hot from Dawn's body as she lifted her off the ground and got a good whiff of that sent. She growled a bit to herself but Dawn was already pulling her off the edge of the tower and towards the stairs so she didn't notice.

Buffy shook her head again when they reached the stairs, her head and throat killing her more. Looking out, they saw and heard the plank creak even more and the entire tower started to fall. Buffy saw the pulley system and her survival instinct kicked out any thoughts of suicide or going down with the tower. She jumped forwards and grabbed the rope, surprised to find Dawn clinging to her side. It seemed she grabbed her before she jumped. Oh well. Buffy easily held both their weights up but the pulley was not so gifted. They started to fall and Dawn screamed relentlessly in her ear. She rolled her eyes internally at her actions and gripped the rope tighter as they both descended. The pulley smoked from the heat of the friction their fall caused and old rusted bolts started to unwind by themselves.

Suddenly the rope caught and they were stuck too high off the ground. Another bolt broke and they fell the rest of the way to the ground. Buffy again lead the fall and Dawn half landed on her. Buffy groaned at the small amount of pain from Dawn elbowing her in her side but her eyes flew open when she heard another loud metallic noise and a whooshing sound. Looking up she could see metal falling towards her from above and she got up, Dawn clinging to her side. Because of Buffy they both escaped their almost death and ran away from the tower as it noisily crashed to the ground.

Dawn kept clinging to her side until they were free from the danger zone and stopped to stand outside the fence. Dawn sat from her pain of the fall and Buffy followed suit for lack of anything better to do.

"Buffy?" Dawn whispered out, almost too shocked still to believe it was true. Buffy glared at her again and Dawn smiled. "Buffy." She reached out a hand and started to stroke the side of Buffy's face. Her too warm hands left streaks of heat against her flesh and Buffy did nothing to stop it. There was really no point. "You- you- you're really here." She wrapped Buffy up in a hug before she could do or say a thing. "You're alive. And you're home. You're home."

Buffy could feel the thumping of Dawn's heart against her chest. Her heat stunned her and she could hear her crying, her breathing, her blood rushing. There was instantly an overwhelming need to get rid of that thirst that had been distracting her since her return, the headache almost hypnotizing her. She wanted to ask for water to quench it but she also just wanted to get out of this hug and not promote conversation.

* * *

Dawn brought Buffy home and she didn't fight it. She really had nowhere else to go. She knew she _should_ want to go home so there was little point in arguing.

When they reached the house, Dawn turned on the lights, more light than necessary, and she looked at everything. It looked different.

"It's different." She stated as fact before taking a whiff. Dawn's smell was everywhere but there was something else. Willow and Tara, obviously, but on top of that. It was almost like leather but it wasn't coming from the furniture. Cigarette smoke was coming from somewhere too.

"A little." Dawn defended but Buffy really didn't care. She didn't care at all. "Willow and Tara live here now. And we- we didn't do much. We moved some of the chairs and took out some of the little tables. But-" Buffy walked away into the darker room, the dining room, not really caring to hear Dawn's excuses. She just wanted her headache to go away and it obviously wouldn't with Dawn's prattling.

Dawn followed her, ignorant to Buffy's real desires. "This is the same. Except the computer stuff. That's Willow's obviously." Buffy moved on again trying to find another dark spot to calm her mind. Her agitation was rising with her shadow companion. "We eat at the other end. Obviously." Dawn whispered the last part to herself, realizing Buffy didn't want to stick by her side. She went after her anyway, not ready to let her out of her sight, and found her upstairs looking at her old room.

Buffy was lost looking at what seemed like a battery station at the end of her bed with wires sticking out of it. Everything else was the same though.

"We charged Buffybot in your room. It just made sense I guess." Dawn talked from behind her, following her again. When she didn't answer Dawn pushed past her into the room and went for her closet. "We didn't get rid of any of your clothes. They're all in here. Why don't I find you something to change into?" She started to ruffle through things and tossed some clothes on the bed. They were much brighter than the black she was wearing and she squinted at their gleam. It was almost unnatural. "I'll let you get dressed and then we can clean you up. Okay Buffy?" Dawn worriedly shuffled towards the door as Buffy moved in and waited for her to leave. She did so with more worried glances and walked towards the bathroom to find something to clean her sister up.

Buffy stared at the clothes on her bed, not really feeling like doing what was told of her. Instead she took a moment to close her eyes to try and rid herself of her headache. It was like she swallowed a box of rusty nails and they all got stuck in her throat. Another swallow made the pressure build behind her eyes and no matter how much she pressed down on her temples, nothing helped. It seemed she would have to wait for this headache to pass. She knew water was needed and maybe some painkillers. But if she wanted to leave the room she knew she would have to change to save a lecture from the constant gabbing of Dawn.

Looking at the clothes again she squinted. Still, she had been buried in the dress she was wearing. She had to change into something. These were her clothes after all. Even if they didn't seem like something she would choose.

She kicked off her shoes and reached behind herself to undo her zip. As she was wondering who stripped her down naked to put her in this thing she started to pull the sleeves down. She jumped and gasped in pain at the pure stinging sensation she felt on her chest. She jumped forward, clawing at what was there, and pulled her necklace from her body as she leaned forward. She ripped the chain off of her and threw it somewhere towards the bed. Glancing at her hand she could see a small red burn mark forming and stared at it for a moment wondering if that had somehow come from climbing from her coffin. After a moment she ripped her dress off to get a better look at her chest. Glancing down she could see a small cross burned into the flesh there.

She gasped and ran a hand over the burn mark, wondering how that was even possible. The only people she saw that happen to were not people, they were vampires. Maybe it was just an effect of coming back. She would have to have a word with Willow. And by word, thoughts of punches and accusations were coming to mind.

She could still feel that draw towards the smell and heat Willow put off but didn't feel the need to run to it anymore. It was still there but it was like her attention had shifted. She could smell it coming from where her mom's room used to be, no doubt where Willow and Tara moved. It was enough to keep her satisfied it seemed.

She dressed the rest of the way, throwing on a different shirt that covered the burn, not wanting to answer questions from Dawn. She stood in the door clothed in what she had and looked at the bathroom door. It was too bright in there for her liking but if she didn't go, Dawn would come out whining.

She walked towards the door, allowing her eyes to adjust before she went in. Dawn smiled at her with a cloth in her hands as Buffy stayed by the door.

"Do you want to come here and I'll clean you up or stay there?" Buffy only moved in another foot and didn't care to make it any easier so Dawn walked to her and brought her a glass from the counter, full of cold water. She greedily emptied the glass of its contents but it had no effect. The burning in her throat and the pain in her head remained. When she handed the empty glass back Dawn automatically refilled it and with another downing she noticed that it only seemed to make it worse. It was yet another question and yet another thing to blame on the hell she was in. Would nothing get rid of the pain? Maybe she would be forced to live with it forever. If she was really even living. She refused a third glass when asked and so Dawn chose to start cleaning her up. She brought out a brush and pulled Buffy's hair back, doing the best she could without it being washed thoroughly. She switched back to the cloth to clean off her face, swiping paths of dirt from the flesh beneath. "There you are. Knew you were under that dirt somewhere. You remember what mom used to say? Either wash that neck or plant potatoes. Yeah I never thought it was funny either."

She moved on to Buffy's hands as they were the only skin left showing and she gasped at the scrapes and tears on her knuckles and the redness of her palm. "Ow. How'd…"She wondered where she got them and almost asked but figured if Buffy wasn't talking, she wouldn't answer her. Instead Dawn opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and pulled out the first aid kit. Inside she found a disinfecting cloth and started to open it but her finger slipped on the packaging.

"Ouch." She said pulling her hand back quick. "Paper cut." She held up her now bleeding finger for Buffy to see.

All too powerfully the burning in Buffy's throat screamed at her. It was more than a scream. It was drawing her, commanding her. The pounding in her head blurred the world around her and she transfixed as the small droplet of dark red starting to form and slide down the digit.

"Hang on, I'll get some scissors." Dawn was none the wiser as she turned and made her way towards the kitchen.

Buffy forcibly moved and gripped onto the sink in the bathroom to stop herself from chasing after her. A pressure started to form on her face as the headache grew and grew. Her eyes squinted down, her brow furrowed, and she distinctly felt two tiny points of pressure landing on the top of her bottom lip. Confused Buffy ran her hands up to her face and felt around. Her face was different. It shifted. There were lines and folds now on her forehead. Her nose was scrunched on its own and as she tried to push out, nothing changed. Her fingers slid down over her mouth where she distinctly felt two tiny hard shards that led directly into her gums.

She stopped straight, remembering where she had felt a face like that before.

She grabbed the medicine cabinet door and slammed it shut to reveal the mirror.

Nothing.

There was nothing but the bathroom greeting her as her reflection. She couldn't see her face at all. She reached up again with her hands and felt again. She was sure now. The sensitivity, the thirst, the smells, the heat, the lack of caring, the burning, the pain, the cross. They all meant one thing.

Vampire.

. . .Well that changed things. . .


	2. Vampire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So sorry for the late update. I've been stuck in a foreign country with non-functioning outlets, one broken converter, and one pain-in-the-ass adaptor. I have it working now (finally) so hopefully I'll be able to adjust to new life here and keep my updates at least semi-constant. First week at my new school (in the UK!) so I'll be figuring stuff out and when the best times to update will be. I probably won't pick a day but I'll let you know one versus two versus three updates a week.
> 
> Thanks for reading and enjoy :)

Buffy quickly re-opened the cabinet to hide the mirror again as soon as she heard Dawn come back up the stairs with scissors in hand. She stood still for a moment while Dawn played with the first aid kit and revisited every sensation she felt since digging her way out of the ground.

It made sense now. All of it.

The affect the fire had on her, the sounds, the lights, the smells, the heat coming off the bodies, the thumping.

 _Thump-thump. Thump-thump._ Heartbeats.

Even at that very moment she could hear the thumping of Dawn's heart, beating away steadily. The metallic, savory smell was radiating off of her with every thump and Buffy wanted to slap herself as soon as the overwhelming obviousness of the smell hit her. Blood. Dawn's blood, human blood. That was the smell that drew her in, that made her crazy with thirst, that smelled as good as a fresh roast.

Buffy's mind drifted as she stared at the pulsing in Dawn's neck. She seemed to really be fiddling with those stubborn scissors and for a moment Buffy thought of reaching over to take them from her and help. Of course she wouldn't be helping Dawn with the packaging. The idea that flashed through her mind had more to do with twisting her body around and pushing the dull blade hard into the side of her sister's neck, pulling the blade taught across the skin and releasing the red liquid from its confines, spreading it through the room, spraying Buffy all over, allowing her to lick the stick substance clean from her body.

Of course that just wouldn't do for the moment.

Instead she moved away from the alluring smell and moved onto the others in the room. The harder she concentrated the more she could distinguish from the the burning, mesmerizing pulsing of the blood. There was a faint smell of vanilla that grew as Buffy concentrated on it. Then there was some kind of fruit…coconut? From memory Buffy could recall it was her perfume, the vanilla. The coconut had to be something else. Her shampoo? Buffy turned from Dawn's muddling around and looked at the shower where she could see the matching pair of coconut scented shampoo and conditioner bottles. She grinned to herself and moved past Dawn to walk into other rooms to see what else she could smell.

Walking into her mother's room, or at least it used to be, the smell of Tara and Willow was overwhelming. Only faintly could she smell a trace of the ancient artifacts and musty books that used to fill the space. Instead there were many spices and herbs crowding her nose, no doubt used for their magic. Then there was that other sent and feeling it came with that Buffy could not figure out. It was obvious it was Willow, she knew what she smelled like. But there was something about it that made her feel like she should be there. Something important about Willow.

Dawn dropped the troublesome wrapper back into the first aid kit and followed, still very worried about Buffy's lack in communication. Buffy was in the master bedroom looking around in the dark, still not saying anything, so she turned on the light for the room.

Buffy squinted at it sharply as she waited for her eyes to adjust. It was easy to see that she didn't need the light. Everything looked perfectly in focus before she was temporarily blinded. It wasn't like that was going to stop anytime soon. Not with Dawn following her every move.

"Mom's room. I know it's really different now." Dawn cautiously walked towards Buffy still nervous she would spook her older sister if she moved too fast. Buffy didn't turn to her so she just watched her stand there as Buffy's eyes danced over the room and cataloged everything that changed about it.

"Willow and Tara, this is there room?" Buffy asked because it sounded like a question she would if she were normal, if she were human. The question was stupid in itself. Of course she could tell who lived in that room and Dawn already said they were living at the house. It wasn't like she expected them to choose the basement.

Yet again, she found herself not caring one bit. It almost amused her how much she didn't care. She knew she should have, well, human her would have. It was her mother's room and it had been vacant after she died. Having someone move into it would have upset her before. She was sure. Just not now. But she had to stay looking as human as possible. For some instinctual reason she knew it would be a bad idea for Dawn to find out what she was. Vampires were what they hunted. Dawn always wanted to kill her own. Who was to say her first wouldn't be her sister? That's what they had drilled into their heads. A vamps a vamp, no matter who it is. Only exceptions being for souls and chips in the head. And Buffy had neither.

Chips in the head. That brought up a very good question that she didn't have time to voice because Dawn cut her off yet again.

"Yeah, well, it seemed to make the most sense." Dawn defended as she felt the need. She didn't know her sister was coming back from the dead! If she did, she wouldn't have allowed everything to change so much. Not that anyone would listen to what she had to say. They never did. She could only imagine how much looked different to Buffy and they changed so much in such little time. Buffy probably hated them.

"No one was using it and it's the biggest." Dawn continued when Buffy didn't do anything. "But, you know, n-now that you're here we'll have to figure out something to do."

Buffy started to walk away again, completely uninterested. It wasn't like things would change. If anything, that anything including Buffy keeping the fact that she was vampire a secret from the occupants of the house, Buffy would move into the room and that would be the _something to do_. It was the biggest room after all, it deserved to be hers. Willow and Tara could actually move into the basement or something. As she thought about it the more she wanted to giggle. It was so backwards really. She was a vamp now, basements would be her thing, right?

Dawn sighed at her sister's distant attitude and chased after her, cutting her off before she got to the door. This behavior was abnormal. Completely understandable but abnormal. She knew it was her sister, she could see it was her sister, but it didn't feel like her sister. "Buffy. You wanna, like, stop? We can- we can sit down and talk."

Buffy rolled her eyes internally. She didn't want to ' _sit down and talk'_. What she wanted was to figure out this new found vampirism she possessed. She wanted to go out in the night and find something to fight. She wanted to see how much power she really had coursing through her system. If her current state had any indication, it was a lot. More than she ever had before. The thrill of the fight still lingered from the biker demons and she knew there were more out there. She could run them all down. It sounded rather exciting.

She couldn't do any of that until she got Dawn off her back, something that wasn't going to happen anytime soon it seemed. She would just have to pretend to be powerless and broken until she could.

"What else is different?" Buffy tried another human sounding question though she was sure she could have put a bit more realism to it. She sounded more annoyed, for good reason, than upset.

"Do you mean about the house er-?" Buffy didn't answer and Dawn again tried to find the right words to say. "Um…let's see. Giles…it's so weird. He left today. Because you were…"

Buffy kept the emotionless face she had on the outside but internally jumped for joy. Giles was gone? Gone, gone? She could only hope. Giles gone meant she had much less of a chance of anyone finding out she was a vampire. No one would be chasing her to stake her heart. Chances were Giles would be the one to know before anyone else. She had already met the others and they were too stupid to figure it out. Watchers though, they were trained for that sort of thing.

"He'll-he'll come right back." Dawn mistook Buffy's stoic behavior for grief again. "I'll call him. Someone will call him."

"What?" Buffy growled out as the pressure from her anger built, pushing on her already sore temples. Knowing she was about to show her true colors, she bit it back and pretended to have an emotional response appropriate to what Dawn would take as resembling something more sad than angry, unlike what she felt.

"What, what?" Dawn sputtered, a bit scared at her sister's reaction. Moments ago she had seemed distant and fine but one mention of Giles' return and it almost looked like she was ready to eat her alive. That was not what she had expected in the slightest. She had to be wrong. She just saw something...a trick of the light.

"Umm…" Buffy noticed the panic in her eyes and quickly made her face pitiful once again. "What um…. will you say to him?" She was actually genuinely curious about that. Saying she returned from the dead would probably have his bells going off.

While calculating how she was going to get away with cutting the phone line or something equally helpful, she heard footsteps coming towards the house and the front door swing open. Another wave of smell from the outside air came in and wafted up the stairs, with it came another hint of that leather smell.

Buffy knew that wasn't Willow or anyone else in the rat pack. She didn't think they would bother her so soon anyway.

"It's okay. It's just-" Dawn tried to calm her sister from any panic that would come, knowing who it was downstairs but was cut off before she could say.

"Dawn!" Buffy instantly recognized the voice.

Good ol' chip in the head.

Of course. She should have been able to tell by the leather. He obviously visited the house frequently and that smell stuck around. He rarely took that duster off, it had to be what she was smelling.

Buffy looked up and smiled to herself. He was a vampire. He would understand. He could help her with this horrible headache. He would know what to do. Then again, he could rat her out. But he wouldn't do that. Not unless he wanted that chip kicked out of his head in a very violent fashion.

"Dawn are you there?!" Spike continued to yell to the house.

"It's- it's just Spike. I'm- I'm here." She called over her shoulder, still not daring to raise her voice in front of Buffy. Not that she needed to for him to hear her. Sighing Dawn knew she needed to see him and she needed to show him Buffy. She smiled to herself as she turned from Buffy and started for the stairs. Spike would be so shocked, so happy, something rare for him, especially since Buffy was lost. This was just what he needed.

"Thank god." Spike said, slamming the door shut. He had been running around, worried one of the demons dragged her off, and with what they were known for, he wasn't in the mood for her behavior. "Scared me half to death. Or more to death. You- I could kill you." This was just like her, running off and leaving him worried. Buffy would have never forgave him if something happened to her. It was his last promise to her.

"Spike-"

"I mean it. I could rip your head off one handed and drink from your brainstem." Spike ground his teeth at the girl's stupidity then stopped yelling just as suddenly as he started. There was something else in the house. He could smell it.

"Look." Dawn looked up the stairs where Buffy was making her way down.

"Yeah. I've seen the bloody bot before." That must have been what else he smelled. "I didn't think she'd patch up so-"

Buffy watched ask Spike's face twisted into confusion, a coy smile starting to form on her own lips. She knew what happened to that robot of herself. It was clearly totaled. Spike must have known that and had _just_ figured out she wasn't the bot. Oh she would tease him relentlessly for taking so long. It took Willow less time than that and she was human.

Step by step she walked down, closer and closer, and noticed, something had changed about him. Had he always been so …alluring? No. Alluring was not something she would have described Spike as. Blood, now, yes. Spike, no way, never.

Yet there he was, just standing, and she felt drawn. Looking him over nothing seemed out of place. He was exactly the same. The only thing that changed was her. Could the vamp thing have anything to do with the way she noticed him in that moment?

Her newly developed eyes squinted from the light and took in every angle of his body. Her eyes almost had to shut at how blindingly blonde his hair was. He obviously had it recently bleached as all trace of his roots were gone. Moving down his body she had to shake her head. She knew he'd always been muscular but this was something else. It was almost like she could see the minute details of every muscle as they wrapped around his bones and carved out his body. His clothes, not even his jacket, could hide those chiseled features as she dragged her eyes lower shamelessly lingering on his crotch. Unfortunately she didn't have x-ray vision and jeans were still jeans. Not helpful.

While her ears were still on overload from the hell outside and the pounding in her head, she could still only hear the _thump-thump_ of Dawn's beating heart. Her breathing came into focus as well as Spike's and her own, though the latter two were not necessary. Other than that the only noise from him was the creaking of the floor beneath his feet and the crinkling of his clothes. Maybe even the crinkling of his brow as he was furrowing it hard enough.

She tried to see what she could smell off of him but the house was too powerful surrounding her. She could do it before when in the dark of the room and when concentrating in the bathroom but the bottom of the stairs was too busy for anything to stand out. Only the leather could she tell belonged solely to him.

The most distinctive thing about him though was the feeling of power surrounding him. But he always had that. This power though, it was different. It radiated off of him in electrifying bolts, making her mouth water, a reaction she did not expect.

Spike watched her assessment in awe and shock as the pieces of reality started to fall into place with each stair she descended. The closer she walked the more he could smell the blood inside her body. Slayer blood. This wasn't a robot.

"She's kind of um…she's been through a lot. With the…death. But I think she's okay."

Spike's heart, if he had one, would have leapt at the moment Buffy looked into his eyes. She was real. She was there, standing in front of him. His eyes started to sting as his mouth fell open and all words escaped him. Pure, unadulterated happiness flew through him in the realization that the woman he loved found her way back to him. Buffy was there. Really, really there.

Of course all that love and goody-goody feeling was followed by a quick slap in the face of worry, doubt and confusion. How could she be back? Could she remember him? Was she really alive? Was this a dream? Did she remember what he said to her? Did she remember the promise she made? Did she remember how much he loved her?

And what was that something? That something that just seemed different. Off almost. Something in the way she looked at him. Something in the way she felt.

"Spike?" Dawn called out to the vampire stuck looking at Buffy. He looked like he actually was going into shock. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm…" He didn't know what he was. He never imagined this could happen. Every day it was shoved in his face, the impossibility of her return, never having her there by his side. Every day he grew closer and closer to understanding that she was gone. He was almost there too. He knew she wasn't coming back. So how could she be standing right there? He couldn't believe it. "What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing."

Buffy crossed her arms over her body, almost uncomfortable by how much she was being stared at by Spike and also as a way to stop herself from jumping over Dawn to explore what was so different about him. Even thinking about jumping over Dawn made her think how easy it would be just to jump her instead. Whipping out her fangs and sinking them into her neck would be one hell of a way to let Spike know she'd changed. He wouldn't really appreciate that though. He always had a soft spot for Dawn.

The move was her mistake as it brought her bloody knuckles to view and Spike could see what he was smelling. "Her hands." He watched as a small bubble of blood pooled and tricked over the other bloody knuckles and fell to the floor. Only out of instinct and out of having been kept a helpless, fangless, useless prisoner did he think of diving down for that spicy, enticing smelling drop for a only split second. That was before Dawn spoke and his shock returned in full force, blocking out those kind of thoughts.

"Um. I was gonna fix 'em." Dawn gestured back up the stairs towards the first aid kit and Buffy pushed her hands behind her. For all she knew that would give her vampire-ness away. Spike would know better, most likely, not to say anything out loud but she couldn't take the chance. "I don't know how they got like that."

"I do." Buffy looked up at Spike incredulously. He couldn't possibly know. "Clawed her way out of a coffin, that's how. Isn't that right?"

It was.

Buffy only nodded at him a bit and whispered out, "Yeah", as images of the pitch black returned to her. Panic was all she cloud think of as she remembered scrambling through the damp dirt, sure she would die from lack of air at any moment, adrenaline coursing through her body. Of course she didn't know she wouldn't die but it wasn't something she rather liked and didn't plan on doing it again. She didn't really want to talk about it either. "That's what I had to do."

"I've done it myself." He nodded at her in understanding and with a bit of sympathy. Dru had been one crazy bitch for putting him in a coffin after she changed him, even if he didn't need it. Her and her rituals. It wasn't something he'd wish on anyone really. It was hard and frankly, terrifying. He knew if anyone could be brave enough to dig through six feet of dirt it would be Buffy. She could do anything. "Um." He looked at Buffy again, still not completely understanding that she was back but shook his head and reached out for her. "We'll take care of you. Come on." If this was real, he wasn't going to let anything happen to her ever again. "Get some stuff." He ordered Dawn. "Bandages."

Spike's hand rested on the top of Buffy's back and he had to shake his head again as he felt her body. He really felt her under his palm. He never thought he'd get the chance to again and yet here he was, doing it. She was really back.

Buffy let Spike lead her to the living room and sat on the couch. Spike touching her really didn't do anything to make him aware she wasn't exactly alive-alive so that was good. Maybe even she could fool Giles.

"Kay." Dawn ran back to find that first aid kit as Spike sat down directly across from Buffy on the table and picked up her hands to inspect them better. He ran his thumb over her flesh more than content with the contact. It was all he ever dreamed, if the circumstances were different that was.

She felt colder than normal, expected from lying in a crate under the ground. Dirt was stuck in her pulled back hair and she smelled of smoke and demon blood. Nasty thing demon blood. Only other demons were other vamps that seemed to have the good stuff and that was because it was borrowed from humans. She obviously fought on the way over. It looked like someone must have got her good in the head because she kept squinting in pain as if she had a headache but that would be an easy painkiller fix. Her turtleneck hid most of her body but she didn't look like she had any injuries beside her hands. The bleeding had stopped in them for the most part. They would be easy to fix and with her slayer power, she would be back to normal by the next day or two. He hoped anyway. It was obvious she was still powerful so she was still the slayer with her return. If anything it seemed more so.

There was just something else about her.

They locked eyes and he shook the thought away. She looked just like he remembered. She was entirely Buffy.

And she was back.

Buffy on the other hand was concentrating on his presence rather than anything else. Not only did the pounding in her head distract her, something she was longing to fix, but being alone with him, with no one else to see, she allowed herself to feel grounded by his touch. It was a reminder that he was there, she was there, and this wasn't a dream. No matter how much she wanted it to be.

She also tried to silently convey through the touch that something was different. The only heart thumping had left the room. How had he not noticed yet? She couldn't just out and say it. Knowing her luck Dawn would be turning the corner or something. It would have to wait till they were truly alone.

A change of subject was in order. "How long was I gone?" For her, time wasn't really in play. She knew she'd been dead for a while for everyone to have moved into her house but in the place she was time didn't really exist. It felt like multiple lifetimes and yet so short.

"147 days yesterday. 148 today." He smiled just a bit thinking she must find him silly for keeping track. He couldn't help himself though. It mattered to him. "Except today doesn't count does it? How long was it for you? Where you were?" He held her hands if not just the tiniest bit tighter, worried she would throw him off at any moment. With Buffy, he learned to take what he could get.

"Longer." Buffy replied squeezing his hands back gently. He smiled again but she could tell it wasn't real. It didn't reach his eyes.

Dawn walked back in with the kit from upstairs, "I've got the stuff."

It was at that exact moment that everyone else decided to barge in, quite rudely too. "Is she here?" Willow was the first to ask, bringing in that questioning smell with her. Buffy sighed in disappointment and Spike gave her a genuine half smile at her behavior.

"She's here! You're here!"

"We didn't know where you were."

"You ran away!"

"Buffy! Are you okay?!"

Everyone talked at once and with a squeeze of the hands they separated and Spike left the room and walked out the door, knowing whatever they had to say couldn't be good towards him. As much as it killed him to leave her side so soon, he also didn't think he could keep his own emotions in check with all Scoobies. Especially not the whelp. One word out of his mouth and he would be tearing the group apart. He decided to wait outside, just to keep an eye on things and maybe to watch through the window. He needed the constant reminder that she was really there.

"You knew she was back?" Dawn asked, hurt that no one decided to include her in the knowledge that her sister had returned from the dead. They never included her. "How did you know?

"You're not a zombie are you?"

"Anya!"

"We're you in pain?"

"What do you remember?"

"What do you know about what happened?"

Everyone kept asking her questions at once, overlapping each other. "Hey!" Dawn stopped it all. "Back off. You did this. What did you do?" Dawn directed her question at Willow, knowing who would be to blame or thank. She hadn't quite decided the difference between the two.

"A spell. We did a spell. We didn't think it worked but it did."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I'm okay." Buffy said, wanting to leave the room and run after Spike. These humans only made her headache worse, their blood thumping away, their smells circling her, and she didn't feel like answering questions. She wanted to figure out what she was. "I'm gonna be fine. I remember. You brought me back." It wasn't all she remembered but it was all they needed to know.

"What was it like?" Anya asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to.

"I can't." She could but she wouldn't. Yet.

"It's okay." Xander cut in. "You don't have to talk about this Buff. Hey do you want something? Anything. Pizza! I'll get you pizza."

"Buffy likes pizza." Anya agreed.

"Yeah something to eat?" Tara asked.

"She doesn't want pizza!" Willow said, not knowing how right she was. Buffy had something along the lines of liquid in mind.

"I just meant-" Tara quietly started to defend herself before she was cut off by Dawn.

"Guys! Back off."

"Right." Willow nodded. "Dawn's right. We should just be quiet and let Buffy tell us what she wants."

 _For you all to leave_ , was what she wanted to say. Instead she chose, "I think I just want to go to sleep." It wasn't true at all. Energy was still pouring through her but going to bed would get rid of everyone and she could sneak out into the night. She had a very certain graveyard in mind.

"That's a good idea." Tara nodded. "You should sleep."

"Right, long day." Willow agreed. "But, Buffy, be happy. We got you out. You really did it."

Buffy just stared at her 'friend' for a moment, getting angrier by the second. Be happy? After being dragged back to this hell? Everything was burning, it all hurt, she didn't know what was going on, she had all this power she couldn't use, the only person who could help her left because these humans hated him, and she was supposed to be happy?

Instead of lashing out and driving Willow's head through the wall, licking her blood clean off the sheetrock like she was picturing, she decided to push for the bedroom again. "Tired."

"Well yeah." Anya chimed in. "I mean, jetlag from hell has gotta be, you know….jetlag from hell."

Up the stairs Buffy went without another word or even a second glance. Everyone be damned.

When they thought she was out of earshot, not realizing the extra sensitivity she picked up, they spoke again.

"She's- she's- she's fine. Normal!" Willow was first. "She used to go to bed all the time!" Tara squeezed her arm in assurance and Xander was next to speak.

"She probably just needs a night. There's not much we can do till then."

"We should get some rest too." Tara nudged Willow again, knowing how whipped she had to be from a spell that powerful and running from demons on top of that.

"Well if you girls are all set here then Anya and I will go home." Xander looked around as the members of the Summers house nodded and he grabbed Anya's arm and started walking to the door. "Call us if you need us and I'll see you ladies tomorrow!" Xander winked at them all and left as everyone called out bye and Anya called a bye back.

"Dawn, you should go to bed too." Dawn looked at Tara and nodded, taking the still unused med stuff back to the bathroom as Willow and Tara followed her up the stairs. She had just got that package open too. As she walked up she looked towards Buffy's room but the door was shut and she thought it better to leave her be anyway.

Jetlag. That's all it was.

* * *

"I think Willow's wrong." Anya started as they shut the door, starting the usual bickering between the two of them. "I don't think she's particularly normal at all."

"Well she just got back. Give it time. I bet in a week she'll be our little Bufferin again."

"Oh yes. Six or seven days. That's all you really need to get over eternal hell experiences."

It was then that Spike leaned away from the annoying couple and a twig cracked from under his foot. God he did not want these people to bother him. He had left to get away from them and think. Buffy was back. She was really, really back. And he was last to know. They all, every single one of them, they all knew how much she meant to him. But he was last to know. Always last.

They brought her back with a spell. The walls were thin, he could hear. Did they not realize what they did? What they could have done? What they might have done? The stupid, ignorant, naïve children playing around with powers they didn't understand. They could have ruined her.

"Who's that?" Xander asked as he looked the tree Spike was smoking behind. "Spike? What are you doing out here?" Spike wiped away any betraying tears that may have fallen as Xander decided to lay it into him, for the millionth time. "I hope you're not going to start your little obsession now that she's around again." As if he understood. As if he knew what he really felt. As if he was any better.

Spike leapt out and swept Xander back against the tree, Anya screaming 'hey' in protest. "You didn't tell me." Spike pushed Xander harder against the bark hoping to cause at least some pain and discomfort without setting his chip off. "You brought her back and you didn't tell me."

"Well now you know." Xander shrugged off, not worried about the chipped vamp holding him to the tree. There was really nothing he could do anyway.

"I worked beside you, all summer." Spike needed an explanation. He gave them all so much and they wouldn't even give him this **.**

"We didn't tell you." Xander actually felt bad. He couldn't believe it but he felt but he did. Maybe it was just pity. That would make more sense. "It was just….we didn't. Okay?"

"Listen. I've figured it out. Maybe you haven't, but I have. Willow knew there was a chance that she'd come back wrong. So wrong that you'd have... that she would have to get rid of what came back. And I wouldn't let her. If any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn't let her. And that's why she shut me out."

"What are you talking about? Willow wouldn't do that." Xander shook his head but internally was battling himself. Willow wouldn't do a thing like that. Not unless she was really, really desperate. Buffy's death caused one of the most desperate states she'd been in. It was possible but he wouldn't let this demon monster be right. Willow was better than that. She wouldn't. Would she?

"Oh. Is that right."

"Look. You're just covering." Xander transferred the conversation back to Spike. He was just trying to get him mad anyway. "Don't tell me you're not happy. Look me in the eyes and tell me when you saw Buffy alive that wasn't the happiest moment of your entire existence."

Spike shook his head and started to walk away not wanting to deal with the twerp or tell him it was true. He still didn't understand. "That's the thing about magic." He jumped on his stolen bike and started it up. "There's always consequences. Always!"

What the group outside didn't know was that Buffy was at her window listening, an ear pressed close to the glass. She went over initially, not intent on eavesdropping, but because she couldn't see herself in her mirror and wanted to see if that was true for any reflective surface. It held true. She could stare and stare and stare but all she would see was the reflection her room provided.

Sneaking out through the window was easy. Almost too easy to climb out and land on the ground without a sound. Xander and Anya kept walking at a slow pace as Spike was long gone on his motorcycle. It was obvious where he was going, back to his crypt. She just needed to get there and she hoped he wouldn't go out to the bar and return drunk and useless.

Xander and Anya didn't even hear her and they were going in the opposite direction anyway. A run seemed like the best idea for her. The town would still be burning but the demons were gone. Too bad because she really did want to fight something, she really just had too much extra energy. To displace some of it she lifted her legs and started pounding on the pavement, excited by just how fast she could go. Each muscle she used seemed to sing with her movements like they'd been waiting in wait with her for this very moment. She could always go fast as the slayer but this was super-fast. All wonder-womany. She blinked twice and was down the street. If she kept at that rate she would get to the crypt before Spike did.

Another coy smile and she was off in that direction.

* * *

Willow made a call to Giles as everyone else got ready for bed, leaving Buffy to sleep it off and not bother her again. Little did she know Buffy was long gone.

"Did you get through to London?" Tara asked as she finished releasing the knots stuck in her hair.

"Yeah." Willow responded, gathering lotion to put on her arms. The talk with Giles and telling him what happened, leaving out a few details, went better than she thought it would. He wasn't nearly as excited as she hoped he would be but it was the middle of the night there and it still went well. "He's gonna head back, as soon as he can. I'm not sure, like, maybe a couple days."

"How did he take it?"

"Um. I'm not sure. I mean... glad, but... kinda weirded out, which I get, you know? Lots of ' _dear lords'_." Willow gave her impression of Giles' accent, earning a giggle from Tara. "And I think I actually heard him cleaning his glasses."

"Are you worried?"

"Worried? Tara it worked fine. It's all good."

"Hey Will this is me." Tara scolded, getting into bed. "It doesn't all have to be good and fine. This is the room where you don't have to be brave and I'll still love you. If you're worried you can be worried."

"Well I'm not un-worried. I mean, what happened? That was intense." Willow started to close the door and slip into bed with her girlfriend. "That's gotta change you. When Angel came back, Buffy said he was wild…like an animal."

"Buffy isn't like that."

"Yeah."

"But?"

"It's kind of noisy up here tonight, you know?" Willow said tapping at her head as she internally worried about her friend's return. It was nothing like what she expected. Something was just different about it. It was meant to go differently, even though it went as wanted.

"Yeah." Tara rolled to her side and cuddled into the warms of Willow's. "Is this better?"

"Yeah. I think it makes things quieter in here."

"You know what I think? I think we all just assumed crash positions."

"Huh?"

"It-it-it's like, you're all tensed up. Like, you were expecting it to screw up. You weren't prepared for it to actually go right."

"Yeah." That was true but there was just something else. Buffy. She was different than how Willow thought she would be. Different than how she used to be. "Tara?"

"Yeah?"

"If things did go right... wouldn't you think she'd be... happier? Like, wouldn't you think she would be so happy that we brought her out?"

"Sure she is." Tara tried to reassure her though in her mind she had similar thoughts. Buffy did seem different but she also seemed in shock. It was probably one of the same and as soon as she was back to normal she would be ecstatic to be home. "You thought she'd say thanks. Be more grateful."

"Would I be a terrible person if I said yes?"

"Give her time. She'll get there."

"Right. No need to be in a big, fury-hurry."

"Exactly." Tara smiled at Willow's wording. "I'm sure it's okay."

They didn't know how wrong they were.

* * *

Spike went straight home. While getting into a fight with random demons sounded fun, he wasn't in any mood. The bikers drove a lot of them out anyway. He didn't want to be bothered. He just wanted to pace in his anger alone.

The little punk was right. Seeing Buffy alive was the happiest moment in his existence but at what price would it come at? She didn't look good. She didn't look normal. She didn't look happy, so how was he supposed to be?

He went down to the bedroom he made for himself and started pacing about, running through all he would yell at Willow when he had the chance. He would yell at all of them. If only he had the damn chip out of his head. He could actually show them he meant business. Instead he was left to scream and threaten until one of them pointed out his disability. It would be pointless. They wouldn't listen.

Each pace brought another spurt of anger to him resulting in him actually punching the rock composing his walls. It wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done as even stone could hurt a vampire. Sure enough his knuckles were open and bleeding. The sight of it almost directly resembled Buffy's newly acquired injuries from crawling out of her grave. He had to chuckle at the irony of it all.

In the middle of his chuckling he could hear the doors of his crypt opening. His first thoughts were of how good it was. A fight he may get after all. He leaned over to his makeshift bar and pulled out a knife, throwing the sheath somewhere to the ground before climbing the stairs to meet his attacker. He sneaked around and sniffed the air not recognizing any human smell, so it wasn't Dawn, before turning around a pillar and seeing; "Buffy."

Buffy had ran a bit more than expected after realizing she had the energy. She probably could have beaten Spike there if she hadn't done the extra laps. Still she had and so she made her presence known when she saw the bike outside the crypt. She almost regretted doing so as soon as she saw the magazines laid out on the table inside. They were definitely women's magazines by the covers on them and she wanted to know what they actually were, for better ammunition, before Spike found her. _Glamor? People? Cosmopolitan?_

Before she could even re-read the title of _Cosmo_ , he was there staring at her with shock on his face. She turned and smiled both at his shock and the lingering effect of discovering the magazines. She slipped her fingers in the pockets of her jeans and tilted her head to the side, deciding what she wanted to tease him about specifically.

"You should be careful. You never know what kinda villain's got a knife at your back." His flirting was off but Buffy assumed that was because of the shock he was still having. He probably never expected her to visit.

Then the smell hit her. There were no distractions at the graveyard, or at least not nearly as much as the house. She got the full effect of Spike's room and of himself. The one smell above the rest was a mix of that savory, metallic blood with a little more spice and an odd wet wood smell that came with it. Fixating on it she was drawn to Spike's side her eyes dropping to where the knife was held.

"Your hand is hurt." She said helpfully, rolling her eyes at herself. That was a stupid thing to say.

"Hmm." Spike turned to his hand knowing what she was talking about. "Same to you." He nodded in her direction hoping she wouldn't be able to tell how he hurt his hand in the first place.

"Right." She nodded and tucked her hands into her back pockets. She never did fix them. She really didn't see a need to. They didn't hurt.

An awkward pause filled the room as they both tried to word what they wanted to say to the other. Spike went over to his shelf to drop of his knife and was first to speak.

"That Willow's getting pretty strong, isn't she? Bringing you back. It's hard to get a good, nice death around here." He started to chuckle awkwardly and smiled wider when Buffy joined in. "You can sit down. Got furniture." Buffy turned and sat down in a cushy looking chair, crossing her legs and waiting for him to say something. "You should see the downstairs too. It's quite posh." He nodded awkwardly not wanting to sound like he just wanted her down there because he got a new bed, though that was an idea.

No, he couldn't think about that. He promised himself that if he ever got a chance to see Buffy again, as unlikely as that was, or if he found any way to communicate to her, he would tell her what'd he done. He would explain why he failed. He would tell her he hated himself for it. So he went over to a stone pillar in the middle of the room and sat against it.

"Uh. I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her." Buffy looked up to Spike with a blank face. She knew he was talking about Dawn and his promise to protect her. That wasn't at all what she was interested in. She was just surprised that he hadn't noticed her vampire vibe yet. It was just the two of them. Still, it would be interesting for her to see what he had to say.

"If I had done that... even if I didn't make it... you wouldn't have had to jump." It was something Spike thought over and over again to himself. Her death was ultimately his fault. "But I want you to know I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but after that. Every night after that. I'd see it all again. I'd do something different. Faster, more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night I save you." He locked eyes with Buffy waiting for her to say something, anything.

Just when she thought he waited long enough she answered him. "Every night except tonight."

"What's that slayer?"

"I'm back. There's no saving me now." Buffy gave a half smile at her own little joke. She was very much so beyond saving.

"Right. Um…" Spike wasn't really sure what to say to that so he just grinned his wicked grin . "Say, aren't you leaving a hole in the middle of some soggy group hug? Thought they'd be throwing you a pizza party or something-"

Buffy smirked at him and gave him her best sour expression. Nothing about a pizza party or soggy group hug sounded good. "Just wanted a little time alone."

"Oh. Um…"

"I can be alone with you."

"Thanks ever so." Spike chuckled at her behavior but stopped himself at a second glance. Something was really off about her. She didn't want the big hug? That wasn't like her. Even if she was in shock, she loved her friends. She would want to be with them. "Buff? Slayer? Are you okay?"

She leaned over towards him giving him her best catty expression. "Never been better."

"Buffy, if you're in... if you're in pain... or if you need anything... or if I can do anything for you..."

"No." Buffy shook her head and lifted herself up onto the arm of the chair as if to show just how not-in-pain she was. "That's not it."

Spike shrugged, not really sure what else to say about it. She definitely was acting weird and she was definitely pushing it off as nothing. "Well, I haven't been to a hell dimension just of late, but I do know a thing or two about torment."

Buffy's face fell as soon as he mentioned hell dimensions. He had been to a hell dimension 'just of late' or however the hell he said it. He was forever living in one. Immortal until someone offed him or until he accidentally slept walked into the sun. Now she was stuck as well. Stuck in this torment.

"I was happy." She spat, realizing she probably needed to elaborate further. Anger seeped into her explanation growing with every word. "Wherever I was... I was happy. At peace. I knew that everyone I used to care about was all right. I knew it. Time... didn't mean anything... nothing had form... but I was still me, you know? And I was warm and I was loved and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand theology or dimensions, or any of it, really... but I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not." Buffy snapped, jumping off of her chair and pacing in the small void between Spike and herself. "I was torn out of there! Pulled out. By my _friends_! Everything here is hard, and bright, and violent, and painful. Everything I feel, everything I touch...it's all so horrible! Torment. This is hell! Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that, knowing what I've lost... Hell."

Spike's eyes grew in shock as he absorbed all Buffy said as she paced. Her friends. They would pay. He warned them! He told them! They did this to her? No wonder she was so miserable. How could they?! "Slayer, I-"

"But I plan on changing that." Buffy cut him off before he could elaborate his disgust.

"How?"

"With your help."

"What do you-"

"Spike-" Buffy laughed at him, turning her body in a circle in front of him, letting him have the full view. "Have you really not figured it out yet?"

"What do you-" Spike let his eyes circle with her body taking the opportune time to appreciate how every curve shaped her body perfectly. She stopped turning, abruptly stopping his hypnotic stare.

"I know you were in shock before but that's had to of wore off by now. Look at me Spike. Really look at me. Am I not different?"

"Well after what you've been through I'd imagine that'd made a mark."

"No, just…just listen."

Spike tried to ask for what but Buffy held up a hand and cut him off. After a moment he just shook his head at the lack of sound in the crypt. "I don't hear anyth-" Realizing what that meant he slammed his mouth shut and tried to listen for the thumping. There was no thumping. Where was the thumping?! "Buffy. You don't-"

"Have a heartbeat?" She asked excitedly. `

"What's wrong? Are you-? How are you alive?"

"I'm not. Not really."

Spike barely registered the fact that she didn't seem to care she was still _dead_. All that excitement over her return and she wasn't even really back. All that waiting and hoping for a miracle and this? No. It couldn't be. "But you can't be-"

"But I am." Tucking her fingers under her turtleneck Buffy lifted her shirt off, the cold not bothering her bare skin even in just her black lace bra. Leaning forward for Spike to see she pointed to the burn mark the cross made on her skin and smiled. Spike's eyes grew even wider and so she decided to really push the limit. Though she'd only done it once before, she concentrated on her head and the face she saw so many times before, letting the pressure build and springing free she could feel the demonic face burst through. "Vampire."

"Oh shit." Spike jumped back at the sight of Buffy's morphed face. He'd never pictured her like this. Well, alright, maybe a couple of times he used his imagination when he was alone with just his hand and memories to keep him company. But he didn't really expect it to happen. He didn't want it to. "Bloody hell. Fucking…Bloody fucking hell! This wasn't meant to happen. Not to you."

"Well it did and I need your help. I need your help Spike." She moved towards him, ignoring the part of him that flinched as her demonic visage inched closer. Stepping in front of him she grabbed his bloody hand and cupped it in her own. "I need help. I have a pounding headache, my throat hurts, I have all this energy, and everything is just so much." Buffy's confident tone fell to an unfortunate begging while explaining her needs. "There's just so much going on. I can hear everything, smell everything, see everything. Light hurts. Demons smell. And humans, oh my god."

"Yeah they do that." Spike almost chuckled as he gripped Buffy's hand tighter in his own. Of course she was a vampire. He was a completely idiot for not realizing. Humans, sure they didn't know a thing. But a vamp not recognizing another vamp? That was just sloppy.

A big part of Spike was screaming at how wrong it all was. Buffy was the good one, she wasn't meant to become something like this. She was meant to go out fighting for the good of it all, like she already had. Things could only get magnificently worse for her. From what she said, she was all-powerful new-born vamp-Buffy and she had a damn good reason for hating her human friends. Things were not going to end up going well.

"Everything is just so-"

"Overwhelming?"

"Yeah."

It took Spike a moment to answer as he looked over the new Buffy in front of him. He'd always found the power the demon face came with sexy and on her, it just enhanced it all. Standing there in just her jeans and that very skimpy bra he had to concentrate real hard at not letting his imagination run away with him. Even with that cross-shaped burn, harsh against the glow of her skin in the moonlight, she still managed to look flawless. He shifted uncomfortbly as his jeans started to pull too taught and tried to get back to the problem at hand.

"It's why most new vamps get smoked." He continued to shift until he wasn't looking directly at her chest anymore. "It's all new. It's like being born again."

"How do you deal with it all?"

"Well first off killing someone helped. Gets rid of the headache and throat thing."

"Great! Help me go kill then!"

Buffy stared leading him back towards the door with his hand only he put his foot down making her spin back to face him. "No! No, no, no, no, no. You aren't killing _anyone_. You would never forgive me if I let you. Neither would Dawn."

"Well I'm dead. I don't care." It was a valid point but not the one he was trying to make. "And Dawn doesn't have to know. No one does. In fact, they can't know. I don't want anyone trying to kill me. Again."

"They're your friends Buffy. They aren't going to kill you."

"They can't know. They're not my friends." Buffy added quietly though she was sure Spike could hear her. "And how the hell am I going to deal with anything if I can't kill someone?"

"Just-" Spike shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all. He always wanted to get Buffy alone in his crypt, bring her down to the basement for a drink or two, get her to take some layers off, see where the night led. Well this was not what he was picturing. "Here, come here. And put your shirt back on."

Into the basement Buffy followed putting on her shirt, smiling to herself at Spike's constant need to stare at her chest. Calling him a pig came to mind but then again, it was kind of flattering. Even dead she could still make him drool. His downstairs was rather nice. She assumed that's what posh meant. She wasn't about to ask. She followed and took in the giant fourposter bed and mini bar and other assorted items through the room. It was quite homey.

Spike led her over to the bar where he dove down to his small mini fridge and picked out a jar of blood. She was not going to like it one bit but she needed to drink something or she would be killing her family next. There wasn't any time to spare.

"Here you go pet. Drink this."

Buffy took the jar and opened it, her nose recoiling at the horrible pig-sty aroma. "Pig's blood?! That smells disgusting."

"Yeah and it tastes worse. You made me drink it, I'm making you." He grinned at her, soaking in every bit of revenge he could as she brought it to her lips and took a sip.

"Oh god. That's so gross." As disgusting as the blood was, the moment it ran down her throat she could feel the pain start to ebb away. The burn faded with the liquid and the pounding stopped in her head. Closing her eyes tight and maneuvering the jar between her fangs she took in more, drinking it gulp by gulp. Her tongue revolted but her body craved more. Her stomach, well… "Oh god I'm going to throw up."

"Well don't do that." Spike took the almost empty jar from her and put it back in the fridge. "I'm out after this. I'll have to go out tonight. Pick up some more."

"How do you stand this stuff?" Wiping a hand over her mouth she felt her face shift back to look like a human. As gross as it was it did the trick and the pounding finally receded.

"It's better warm. Mix it with stuff. You'll figure it out."

"No way am I drinking that stuff again."

"Well you're going to have to."

Buffy frowned at him but could tell he wasn't about to budge on the subject. He was obviously stuck on her being human. She would just have to get him to realize just how vampire she really was. She was every bit of beast as he.

Buffy licked her lips, a bad decision on her part at the taste pig, and sauntered her way to Spike's side deciding seduction was definitely the best way to go. With her best sex voice she leaned in and whispered; "What does human blood taste like?" It wasn't the sexiest question but she was sure it would work.

However, Spike was apparently immune as he walked away and started re-ranting. "I don't understand how you managed not to kill. That's the first thought on every vamps mind. You were around a bunch of humans. How did you not kill them? How did you not kill Dawn?"

"Well I didn't know what it was. Till Dawn cut her finger. I vamped out. No reflection. Then I just didn't want them to know. Not yet."

"It still doesn't make sense. You shouldn't have control like that. Not unless you fed."

"Well I haven't."

Spike's mind started reeling at the possibilities. How? How was it possible? No vamp could resist human blood when it was so readily available. Blood was even littering the streets after the demon bikers had their run through. It was impossible, purely impossible for her not to have fed. She must have done it subconsciously without registering it or something ridiculous like…like that. "Willow really has outdone herself." Spike started to shake his head madly yet again trying not to flip out without Willow actually there for the abuse.

"Huh?" Buffy grunted, completely lost.

"You were bleeding!"

"Okay, so?"

"She brought you back, all of you. You and all your parts. Guts and blood included. You've been eating yourself."

"Eating _myself_? I've been eating...myself?"

"It's why you've had so much energy. Why you didn't eat your sister. You've been eating slayer blood. Now I knew you'd be into some stuff love but that's down right kinky."

"How's that even-?" She was going to ask how it would even be possible for her to eat her own blood and not know it but an even more horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Wait. Will all this power go away then? After I drink myself dry?"

"I don't know. No slayer's ever been changed before. No vamp would pass up the opportunity to kill one. Also, you know, no vamp ever comes back more than a night after. You actually fully died, for months. You're a first. And everything...everything comes with a price."

"What?"

"Magic. The spell they did to bring you back. This has to be the price. You come back from the dead…well dead."

"Exciting." She ran and leapt onto his bed jumping up and down like a little girl.

"What?!" He ran over to her and scowled form the end of the bed. "Exciting? Buffy, you're dead!"

"But I've never felt more alive!" She actually still felt overloaded but alive was something she would have said. While she hated every moment of it, it was still more than she'd ever felt before. It wasn't the power she hated, just how she got it and where she ended up and who brought her there. "So tell me, while I was gone, what happened? Whose idea was this?"

Spike's mind drew a blank for a moment as he watched Buffy jump, her chest jiggling with her body. "I don't know. They didn't include me. Dawn didn't know. Probably Willow's. Her spell. Why?"

"Willow." Buffy stopped her jumping and flopped her butt back onto the bed. "She's different from the others. Connected. To me. Why?"

"Well she brought you back." Spike joined her by sitting by her side and glancing at her as he spoke. "She made you what you are. She's your sire I suppose. You always have a connection to who sires you. It's gotta be weird though. Being sired by a human."

A human sire. It couldn't be a good thing. Willow was so weak and fragile and she was so strong, it didn't add up. "I wonder what would happen if I drank her." Buffy mused.

"Nothing good I'm sure. Connections like that aren't meant to be broken so easily and – hey-" Did Buffy just talk about _drinking_ her best friend in the whole wide world? "Why are you talking like this? This isn't like you."

This was wrong. It was so very, very wrong. Buffy was supposed to be the good one. She was never supposed to change. She was supposed to stay perfect.

"I'm still me." Buffy defended, crossing the room and crossing her arms at the stubborn man. He of all people knew what it was like. "But I died Spike. I died and was ripped out of heaven by the people who called me their friends. It's gonna change me."

"But it's not you. You would never kill your friends or even think about it. No matter how horrible a thing they did to you."

"Betrayal is an interesting thing Spike. Don't you know what that feels like? Didn't your sire betray you?"

"Don't bring her into this!" Spike jumped from the bed and curved around her body, trapping her beneath his arms.

"Dru left you!" Buffy spat back, unafraid and even grateful that she got a rise out of him. He would finally understand. Reaching up she took each shoulder in her hands and shook him to try and get him there faster. "You thought she loved you and I thought they loved me! Look at what they did to me!"

"Well maybe we can change this!" Spike understood her frustration. He really, really did and he had half a mind to let her take it out on them but he had to try everything to get her back first. He wanted the woman he loved. "Magic made you a vampire maybe we can use it to change you back."

"I don't wanna go back!" She pushed him away from her to stand and with her extra strength from her own blood he stumbled back easily. "You want me to go back to being human again?! This is hell enough, I don't need it to get worse."

"But you'll be back to being a slayer. You'll still have more strength than any human."

"And I'll go back to saving the day and everyone and my life will be miserable while everyone else is happy. I'll sacrifice everything for them and how will they thank me? By letting me die for them and then bringing me back dead. I'm not going back to that life Spike. I've saved this miserable rock more times than I care to count. It's my time now."

"Your time? Your time for what?"

Without giving her response Buffy started to climb the stairs and call down. "Don't tell them. Not yet. Leave that to me."

"Buff?" Spike stared at the gap she seemed to leave in the room. "Slayer?!" She refused to return though he knew she could hear him. "Buf- oh bloody hell!"

No. This was really, really not going to end well.


	3. Onion Blossom

"She's still sleeping. I tried to open the blinds but she hid under the blankets. I think she's really exhausted." Dawn told the group the mild version as they met for breakfast that morning.

It worried her. Buffy usually didn't sleep that long. It amazed Dawn how she would normally get up before she even did for high school and she went to bed early in comparison. Buffy had always been a night person but that was still impressive. She just chalked it up to slayer powers. Lack of sleep wouldn't get her down.

She was extra worried at the strain of profanities that her sister let loose when trying to get her to come down to have breakfast with everyone.

_"I don't want any pancakes."_

_"Are you sure? They're chocolate chip. Your favorite-"_

_"I'll tell you what you can do. You can take those fucking favorite pancakes of mine, stick them all up your asses, right where the sun don't shine, like it shouldn't be doing, right now, in my room! I don't give a fucking flying damn what you do with them once they're there, as long as you close my blinds and leave me alone so I can go back to sleep!"_

"Well she probably had a lot taken out of her." Xander chimed in, stuffing pancake into his mouth.

"Yes. Cross-dimensional travel always is exhausting." Anya nodded along. "When I was a vengeance demon, I had to jump across dimensions many times. I would have to wait at least a day to grant wishes in some cases."

"Well we'll let her sleep. See how she is this afternoon." Willow said, trying to hide her worry.

"Should one of us stay home with her? In case she needs us?" Tara asked while handing Willow a glass of orange juice.

"I'll do it!"

"No Dawn. You have to go to school." Willow scolded the teen before turning to Tara. "I have a test today, can you do it?"

"Oh so I have to go to school but you don't?" Dawn asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have an assignment to hand in." Tara said shaking her head.

"I can't miss work. Which I'm late for. Sorry guys." Xander jumped up with another bite and gave Anya a my-mouth-is-full peck before running out the door.

"Well don't look at me." Anya shook her head as she started to follow Xander's lead and head for the door. "I have the Magic Box to run. It's mine now. No matter what Giles says when he comes back. The store and the money are mine."

Anya popped out and Willow shook her head at the three left in the room. "Well shoot. We can't leave her alone. Who else is there?"

"There is Spike." Tara shrugged out.

"Yeah but the sun's out." Dawn pointed towards the open blinds in the kitchen.

"He's gotten here before with the sun."

"I don't know-" Willow started to argue but Dawn cut her off, running to the phone already.

"I'll call him." Dialing the number she knew by heart she didn't wait for them to argue and instead waited as the phone started to ring.

"What?" Spike's cranky voice snapped a greeting.

"Spike?"

"Dawn?" Obviously. She was the only one stupid enough to call him when he was sleeping. "What do you want? Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah. Sorry. You probably just went to bed. Um. Well, we were hoping that you could come over."

"Why?" Spike's voice clearly sobered at the prospect of a Summers being in trouble. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. We just don't want to leave Buffy by herself and none of us can stay home."

"What? Slayer can't take care of herself for a day?"

"Well she's just sleeping but we want to make sure it stays like that. We don't want anything to… well we want to make sure she's safe."

"And this was everyone's idea? Even the whelp? He think it was a good idea to leave me alone with Buffy all day?"

"She's my sister."

"So he doesn't know?"

"Well…"

"Give me a bit." He grinned at the look the twerp's face would have when he realized he was the one out of the loop, decisions he wouldn't like being made without his consent or recognition. "I'll be over."

"Thanks Spike."

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me for this Little Bit."

"I'll bring you home an onion blossom."

"See that you do."

The call ended without a bye and Dawn clicked the phone back down. "Spike's on his way." She told the other girls as she grabbed some breakfast herself, eating the only pancake Xander left behind.

"Alright." Willow nodded as she went to finish getting ready for school and Tara went to put away the rest of the batter.

"And you have to get him an onion blossom." Dawn called as Willow was leaving, a dramatic sigh being her immediate response.

"You know if he keeps eating that fried food it'll go straight to his thighs!"

* * *

When Spike entered the house everyone had left. Not a sound could be heard because no one alive resided in the house. Not anymore.

Throwing his blanket to the side, he walked up the stairs and cracked Buffy's bedroom door open. There she was, under the covers, completely out. He was a bit jealous having only gotten two hours of sleep before he was woken up. The curtains were drawn and she was in no danger of sunlight so he closed the door and went over to Dawn's. He slid against the walls of the room until he was able to quickly close the blinds. No light was getting in so he jumped to the bed and went straight back to sleep.

It was hours before he was woken by some movement at the door. His senses on alert, he peeked open an eye, an arm reaching for the lamp for use as a weapon, ready to fight, but saw Buffy standing there instead. Nope, not a demon. Well…yes a demon, just not a threat. Most likely. He kept his hand on the lamp just in case.

"I could smell you." She said simply, leaning against the door, still wearing the clothes from the night before. A moment passed before he realized her smile was genuine and he could let the lamp go.

"Go back to sleep slayer." He rolled back around and closed his eyes again willing the stubborn girl to follow his lead.

She made no move to leave as she stared at Spike's limp figure, cataloging everything she could about him in her new state. She had only a glimpse before. After waking she could hear him in the other room, her senses still coming into focus. At first she thought it was Dawn, getting the nerve to try and wake her yet again (it didn't go well for her the first time). But then she heard, or rather didn't hear, the lack of noise. There was no _thump-thumping_ anywhere in the house. Everyone had to of left. It was then that she smelled the odd aromas of Spike. Leather, cigarette smoke, crypt must, the strange blood concoctions he drank, and even small traces of actual smoke, like he was standing next to a fire. From Dawn's pestering about the 'beautiful day' and from her moronic show of opening the blinds, Buffy could only guess what that smoke actually was from. Seemed someone went out for a daylight stroll.

Spike's smell wasn't the only thing that drew her into Dawn's room. She had initially woken because of a dream, a dream she didn't care to revisit. So she continued to stand in the doorway, lingering on thoughts that would keep her from having to go back to bed. Being stuck inside all day wasn't helping her distract herself from how tired she really was. After running around the night before and unleashing her new world on the other vampire, she really did have it taken out of her. It seemed coming back from the dead, dead, still made her dead tired after all.

After giggling to herself over how many ways she could fit 'dead' into a sentence, she decided to fetch for a conversation. Spike was still lying there, unmoving, but she knew he wasn't sleeping. She could hear his fake breathing. "What am I going to tell them?"

"Hmm?" He grunted the question in genuine lack of understand what she had just said. Enhanced sense of hearing or not, that didn't stop him from not paying attention. He was more focused on the fact that she was standing there. Looking at him. Sleeping. How was he supposed to take that?

"I'm sleeping all day. How do I explain that?"

"I don't care." Spike rolled over more, all the way on his stomach, too tired to realize Buffy was actually reaching out to him. He hadn't even considered the possibility of turning her new found dead-ness into a relationship between the two for them. Even if that relationship was just vampire mentor to vampire mentee. "Just go to bed."

"I can't." Buffy whispered back, leaning further into the doorjamb, starting to pick at chips of paint she hadn't noticed before. When she wasn't being blinded by her younger sister with the lights or the sun, she actually saw a lot of things. What she did miss seeing though, was the pure moment of worry that etched across her companion's face.

"Why the hell not?" Pulling the pillow over his head to cover his eyes he tried to seem much less concerned than he felt. Not only was it unusual for the slayer to sound so vulnerable, even if it was just for a moment, but she was a vamp now. The whole not caring thing carried over, he saw that much last night when she was talking about offing her friends. It genuinely worried him that she sounded so small. Not that he cared…too much.

"No reason." Buffy snapped, turning to leave. "Forget I said anything."

"No wait." He sighed in defeat as he tossed the pillow to his side and propped himself up to look at her, rubbing the sleep from his face with his palm. "Wait. Buffy. What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shrugged with an annoyed frown on her face.

He growled low in his belly, something her human self would have missed but the deepening in her frown made him believe she heard it that time. Well so much for trying to be the nice guy. "God you're stubborn."

"Just go back to bed."

"Fine." He grabbed the pillow and shoved it back on his head, flopping back to his side, as he listened to her leave the room and she scrambled back under her covers.

So much for a conversation. It didn't even have to be nice. He always found the quickest route to pissing her off.

* * *

Sleep usually came pretty easy to Spike but it didn't seem he would get any that day. A while after they parted, a small yelp ripped him out of bed and brought him running to Buffy's room.

"Slayer?!"

She was lying in bed, nothing had changed, just her eyes moving behind their lids at a million miles a minute. Another small scream came from her lips and he ran over, shaking her violently so she would wake.

"Slayer, wake up!"

With a gasp of air Buffy opened her eyes and coughed herself awake. Slowly her dream faded away and the blonde man focused in front of her eyes as he rubbed her shoulder blades to get rid of the gagging. "Spike?"

"Yeah. Yeah it's me." He moved closer to her on the bed and moved his hand in wider circles on her back. "You okay?"

"Fine." She snapped as she fell back onto the bed and he dropped his hand away from her body. "Perfectly fine."

"Fine?" He leaned over her to get in her line of sight so she could see his incredulous look. Looking at her face, so pouty and annoyed, he couldn't help the cocky grin that fell so easily into place. "Well I reckon you had a nightmare."

"Well you reckoned wrong."

"Oh really? Is that what all the tossin' was about then?"

"Just leave Spike." She turned away from him and tried to close her eyes to sleep again. That attempt failed as soon as the dark caved over her and the dream started to reappear.

It wasn't really a nightmare. It wouldn't be considered a nightmare anyway. It was a memory more than a dream. A memory of the time she had in her little piece of heaven before she was torn down. The dream turned and that's where the twisting and tossing and screaming came from. The feeling of perfection was always closely accompanied by utter pain and torment. Blood everywhere, sounds blaring, lights blinding, and nowhere to go but to dig herself up and out. It was her coffin all over again. Just the pitch black and the scrambling to get out of it.

Instead of closing her eyes again she just stared at the opposite wall finding cracks, waiting for the other vamp to leave like she asked.

"You want to talk about it?" He tried asking nicely but was sure some annoyance made it sound fake.

He really could help if she just let him. Hugs for nightmares wasn't exactly his usual but he'd done his fair share. Not too long ago she wasn't around for Dawn re-seeing her sister's death every time she closed her eyes. Not to mention the sights he saw himself every time his mind got away from him.

"I want you to leave." She tried again as her eyes darted in and around the cracks she found. Flash after flash, blink after blink, it was all just so dark.

"Too bad. Move over." He stood and started to slide into the bed next to her. That had her flipping over in an instant, her worries of the dark engulfing her forgotten, pushing his body away from the bed.

"What? No!"

"Fine." He shrugged and fell to the floor, sprawling out with his arms under his head. She rolled to her side and stared at him with her mouth open and her face scrunched in confusion.

"What're you doing?"

"The floor's fine. No need for me to come running every time you have a little nightmare."

"Shut up." She fell back into her bed but a small smile crawled across her lips, no matter how many times she tried to bite them shut.

He smirked back from the floor closing his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. "Go to sleep."

It came a surprise to both of them when they actually did, no more dreams or screams intervening.

* * *

"Buffy?! You up yet?!" Willow called through the house having stopped by between classes just to double check on her. "Buffy?" She walked around but didn't see her. "Spike?" No answer so she walked up the stairs. She started to get worried that maybe Spike didn't come, maybe something did happen to Buffy, but that was just her paranoid side. Then again it was Spike and he wasn't exactly the most reliable. She trusted Spike just as much as the next person but…well that wasn't saying much.

Opening the door she could see both of them fast asleep, Buffy in her bed and Spike on the floor. She rolled her eyes at his odd behavior but secretly was a bit glad he wouldn't leave her side. As messed up as he was, he did care.

Surprise came as soon as she started to leave when she felt strong hands close against her throat and slam her against the wall. She screamed on impact and blinked before Spike came into view.

"Willow? Sorry." He dropped her and she stood on her own, clawing at the tightness left on her trachea. "Thought you were-"

"No. No it's okay." She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from the sudden adrenaline rush. "At least we know you're doing your job." She chuckled but he didn't laugh. He checked on Buffy quick again before walking down the stairs ignoring Willow as she followed, her intent on grabbing something from the kitchen.

At least the witch woke him up only a few minutes into _Passions_. He could make it just in time having skipped what happened last episode.

"Spike!" Willow shouted from the kitchen. "If you're going to bring blood over, can you at least keep it in a separate container or something? It was touching my lettuce."

"Yeah-sure-whatever-shut-up." He turned the volume up louder and rubbed his face, double checking that all blinds in the living room were closed. He always suggested they keep a TV in the basement but they wouldn't let him. They kept arguing that he only came over to babysit Dawn when it was dark out. Still.

Willow finished making her salad and sat on the couch, near Spike's chair, still in view of the TV. "So has she woken up yet? She said anything?"

"She might have if you ask during a commercial." Spike spat back. Willow grunted and started on her salad, mumbling to herself about how touchy the vamp could be with his soap. He of course heard but ignored her.

The next commercial Willow leaned forward and muted the TV. Spike turned to her and waited for her question. He didn't care so much about lying to the humans. They lied enough to him. It was more about Buffy's safety. She had a point in that her friends wouldn't take her being a vamp well but he couldn't keep it to himself. He had to help her somehow. Timing just had to be right. At least that's what he kept telling himself the night before.

"So. How is she?" Willow asked looking up the stairs again. Buffy hadn't made a sound.

"Fine. Tired."

"Did she say anything? Eat anything? Is she hungry? Thirsty? Did she wake up yet? Has she-"

"Whoa. Slow down Red. She woke up once but went straight back to bed. She's out of it still. I'd leave her alone."

"Oh. Okay. How'd she look? When she woke up?"

"Glowing." He rolled his eyes sarcastically as he walked to the kitchen knowing they had some of that soda he liked. Willow followed and he elaborated before she could ask. "Not wonderful. Had a nightmare."

"Nightmare? Oh god I can only imagine." Willow's worries doubled in a matter of seconds. She really did need to focus more on Buffy. She should have expected the bad dreams at least. It really was selfish of her to think she would be a happy cheerio just because she was back. There had to be a lot of baggage from hell to deal with. She only wished she could have been there for her first hand instead of asking her vampire sort-of-friend-but-not-really. "Does she remember anything? About hell I mean. Is that why she had the bad dream?"

"I don't know." Spike finally found the bottle he was looking for and twisted it open, looking at the clock in the kitchen timing the commercials with these questions. He went back into the living room, just to be safe. "You'll have to ask her."

"Okay." Willow nodded, following him back into the room. "Thanks Spike."

"Whatever." He flipped the remote back into his hand and hovered his thumb over the mute button. Suddenly, as the sleep started to wear off his body, he realized just how much he wanted to say to this with. How much damage she had caused without even knowing it. The dumb bitch had no idea and here he was just promoting the idea that everything was fine and dandy with little miss vamp up the stairs. "You know what actually?" _Passions_ could wait a moment. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"A bone?" Her eyes bugged open as she glanced at the TV and the actors started to reappear. What could be so desperate that he would ignore the commercials ending?

"Yeah." He tossed the remote to the couch and stood, stomping over and towering over the short woman. "You did this right? You brought her back. You did know, didn't you? You knew there was a chance something would go wrong! That she wouldn't come back normal! What if she didn't? What if she's not? What price did she pay? Do you even know?"

"I brought her back!" Willow yelled back, defending herself. Why was everyone so worried? She was back, she was fine, she was saved, all thanks to her! "I saved her!"

"Stop trying to play the hero. Your reasons were selfish."

"Selfish?! I did this for her!"

"Do you honestly believe that? Have you wired your mind to make that make sense?" He drilled a finger into the side of her head, all he could do with the chip in his head and the rage he was feeling. She flipped his hand away and he went back to shaking his hands in front of her face. "You don't even know what you did."

"You know what Spike? No one asked for your opinion. So you can just…you know…zip your lip." She crossed her arms and scowled at the vamp above her, trying her best not to show the slight amount of fear she felt. Of course, Spike wasn't the cause of that fear, not completely. Yes, he could be intimidating but he couldn't actually do anything about it. It was more about the fact that he was a bit right.

"Zip my lip? Listen here. I am much older than you _little_ _girl_. I know a thing or two about this stuff. All magic comes with a price. I'm not about to let Buffy pay that price so whatever you did, you're going to be the one that fixes it!" Leaving all that for her to digest, he walked back over to the couch and flipped the mute off, half way into the scene where Angela's twin sister seemed to be screaming something at Tito's convict half-brother. God he would never catch up. "Now shut up. It's back on."

Willow watched him turn the TV on and heard the screaming of the people in the box. The small prickles of her magic energy started to tease her from the inside out. Least to say, she was furious. She did this miraculous thing, something no one else had the power to do, and they were just yelling at her for it. She could see it in everyone else's eyes too. They all had that worried look as Buffy seemed so distant. She was just in shock and it was not her fault! Buffy would come out of it. The least they could do would be to say thank you but instead she gets stares behind her back, questions she can't answer, and a cranky vamp laying it into her in her own home. She did not have to put up with this. The crackling grew as the power within her coursed and she moved to stand in Spike's way of the TV. A shout of protest was cut off by her, "I had my test this morning. I can skip the rest of the day. You can go home."

The deadly tone of the witch's voice actually caught his attention. He could feel the fire inside her spinning about. Usually she didn't rile up so easy. When Buffy left she was a bit on edge, definitely worthy of the title 'bitch of the year' but she was back now, as she just reminded him. It only meant that he made a point with her. "Fine." There was no point in getting into a row with her. He wanted to, desperately actually. His words were not enough to convey how much he wished to bash in that red head of hers but he just couldn't. Any fight would just end up with him sun baked. He stood up and stomped out of the room muttering as he walked past. "Keep an eye on her."

* * *

"Spike?" Buffy called out his name as she woke up, realizing he was no longer on the floor. "Spike are you still here?" There was no answer so she walked out of her room towards the stairs. Now knowing just how sensitive a vamps hearing could be she knew he would hear her if he wanted to. Unless he was wrapped up with the TV or something. "Spike?!" She yelled out but stopped when she realized that funny feeling had returned, the feeling she got when Willow was around. It was only guaranteed by the _thump-thumping_ drawing nearer and the shriek of her voice coming closer.

"He's not here." Willow said, coming around the corner. "I am. Yay!" She reached out and touched Buffy's arm, trying to shake it a bit but all she did was glower so she took her arm back. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you a sandwich? You can take a shower, get some other clothes on." It was odd that Buffy was still wearing that turtle neck but it was probably due to just how exhausted she was. We've all slept in our clothes at one point or another.

"Just thirsty." A fake smile greeted Willow but she wasn't the wiser to it. They both traveled to the kitchen, Buffy making sure no sun was getting into the house at any point, and Willow started to rummage through the fridge.

"Well we have milk, orange juice, water- obviously-, cranberry juice, and ew!"

"What?"

"Spike left his blood here!" Willow reached in the fridge and pulled it out turning it in her hands so Buffy could see. The disgust on Buffy's face matched Willows but it in no way was faked. She could smell it from where she stood. Still, terrible smell or not, the sight of the blood did make her thirst, her headache returning slowly.

"Just leave it." She shook her head already thinking of when she could sneak some of that later. Spike must have gone out after she left just like he said. That would mean he'd have more so she could take that no problem. "He can get it later."

"Okay but it's going to the back of the fridge. Right next to the questionable ham. What do you want?"

"Cranberry." It was red. Like the blood. The two would match well, though it wouldn't be warm. She still had so much to ask Spike. How long to microwave a jar of blood being the main question on her mind.

"Here you go." Willow poured both of them a glass and slid Buffy's within reach. "You want to drink out back?"

"No!" She didn't mean to shout but she did so she tried another small smile and came up with the first excuse she thought of. "Sun still hurts my eyes."

"Well that's cus you slept all day silly."

"Yeah I was pretty out of it."

Usually when left with her best friend, Willow would find herself talking like crazy, no awkward pauses at all. It didn't seem to be the case now. Talking about the hell dimension would have to be properly timed and she couldn't imagine the conversation she would have in the meantime while that ball of questions lingered over them.

"Well Dawn and Tara are at school." Buffy started to tick her glass with her fingernails taking small sips before clicking away again. An afternoon of sitting around and chatting was not something she felt like doing. Especially not when the conversation was going like it was and especially not when every thump of Willow's heart reminded her more and more who her sire was, who brought her to this hell, and also made her head hurt ever so slightly more. "Anya and Xander are at work." More thumping, more anger. How the hell did Spike control himself when he had the ability to eat people? He wasn't exactly prone to anger management. "Anything you want to do before they all get home?"

"Where's Spike?"

"Um-" Willow deflated as Buffy's eyes darted across the room. She was really hoping for a little excitement for girl time between the two of them. It was nothing against Spike specifically, though she was still pissed off for what he said earlier. It was just that a part of her wanted her to ask for her, not him. "He went home when I got here."

"Will he come over with everyone else?" The Buffy's Back Brigade was bound to drive her headache into a full blown migraine, pig's blood or not.

"Well. Usually he only comes over to babysit Dawn or go patrolling with us. You want him here?"

Buffy couldn't help grinning at the frown on Willow's face. Maybe she could hit two birds with one stone. Someone understanding that could get her out of the room if she asked and a way to annoy everyone so they would leave early. "I'll just call him later."

"Yeah. Right. Okay." Why did she have to be so distant? There was just something off about her. "Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"You're alright, right?"

"Of course. I'm fine."

"I mean…It's just that-" Spike's words kept reverberating off the walls in her mind. _All magic comes with a price._ He had to be wrong. There was absolutely, positively, now way to Hecate he was right…but it couldn't hurt to double check. "Well with magic sometimes there can be side effects and I want you to come to me, you know, if you feel anything. Different that is. Dizzy, upset stomach, demons sprouting from your head. You know the usual." She tried to giggle but it seemed lost on Buffy.

So now she was worried about her? Now she was worried about 'side effects'? If only looks could kill. Buffy sure was trying her damnedest as she glared at Willow from over her half empty glass. Maybe if she concentrated just hard enough she could make it so Willow just tripped. Maybe tripped back into the sink. Maybe her hand falls in the disposal. Maybe as terrible luck has it, she turns the disposal on. Maybe her deafening screams are heard by no one because Buffy runs forward and helps put her out of her agony by putting her fangs to good use. Two sharp mercy givers easily sinking into the pounding of her neck.

"Sure." Buffy answered instead. Spike said killing your sire wasn't a good idea but it sure felt like one.

"Oh!" Willow ripped her out of her continuing daydream. "I forgot to tell you! I called Giles. He should be home in a day or two?"

"That's soon." Buffy said through clamped teeth. This whole pretending to care and be human thing was not all that easy. It really would be easier just to kill them all and be done with it. But why would she let them get off that easy?

"Yeah well he wanted to see you."

"Right. No. It's good. Good."

"Yeah." Awkward pauses were becoming a normal thing. Willow would just not stand for it. "Are you sure you don't want to eat anything? You haven't eaten since…well you didn't eat yesterday."

"I'm fine."

"Okay. Just don't want a rumbly tummy."

Awkward pause, awkward pause, awkward pause.

"Also, um, Spike told me you had a nightmare." It wasn't the most tactful way for her to bring up the topic, that she did say she would leave alone till the right time, but anything was better than what they were doing. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was nothing." Oh she was going to get him back for that. The tattle tale. She didn't tell him about the dream, why would she want to tell anyone else?

"Well, I just mean, did you remember something? Do you remember anything? From over there I mean."

"No." The lie was so easy to say. "I don't remember anything."

"Okay well if you do and you want to talk about it, I'm here." She started to reach out to put a hand on Buffy's arm but Buffy pulled away far too soon, reaching for the cranberry juice in the fridge. "How bout I put in a movie?" Willow tried get her excited, about something, anything. "They'll be back by the end of it. I could make popcorn!"

"Sure." A movie sounded better than trying to pretend to not want to kill her. Plus, while Willow was looking for the popcorn, she managed to sneak some blood into her glass. It wasn't quite the same consistency but Willow wouldn't know.

After watching _The Princess Diaries_ , a popular movie that apparently came out when Buffy was in the ground, she was ready to repeatedly smack her head into the wall beside her. Conversation would have been a better death. Not that smashing her head would do anything.

While Willow was watching she had been zoning in and out figuring things out in her head. Her talk with Spike the night before kept rolling over in her mind.

She didn't exactly have the urge to kill someone, unless she smelled their blood, but she also realized she wouldn't care if she did. Even looking at Willow, the person who was supposed to be her best friend, she could kill her and not care.

Running through her supposed friends in her mind she could only really think of one person she wouldn't kill and feel bad about; Dawn. She was a blood relative after all so maybe that had something to do with it. The blood relative could be debated but based on the whole dying for her thing, it seemed to hold true. Even so, if she needed to kill Dawn, she would. It would be a bit sad, maybe a bit hard but she was sure she would get over it eventually. After all Dawn was the damn key that ruined most of her life right before she died. She kind of was the cause of it all. But that wasn't in Dawn's control. And that was the heart of it.

Bringing her back from the dead and ripping her out of heaven, that was in her 'friends' control. That was their fault. She was living hell because of them. Buffy was just talking, saying the words that first came into mind, when yelling at Spike about it in his room but it was true. Betrayal was a powerful thing. Then it really sunk in. She had everything that people strive for in life; a happy, peaceful, content ending in heaven where nothing could go wrong ever again. She was safe and loved and everyone she had cared about was alright. It was her friends that put her there and then they just took it all away. They were the ones who did this to her. Everything she felt, every craving she had, every smell, all the sensitivity, all the pain, it was all their fault. They made her life hell and they didn't even care.

And Buffy wanted revenge.

Revenge, the perfect word. She knew her friends deserved something more than just by ripping all their throats out. No, this had to be planned. It wasn't just revenge on her 'friends' but also on the town itself. Hell, the entire world owed her. She'd saved it enough times.

Not anymore. No. She deserved more. The world owed her for all she gave up and all she sacrificed. As far as she was concerned, she saved the world so many times, it was hers. So she was going to claim it rightfully.

First thing was first; she needed to figure out this whole vampire thing. She hadn't planned on listening to Spike about not killing anyone because really that pig's blood was disgusting but she needed him on her side. He would be able to tell in an instant if she killed some person, especially if it was someone who lived in her own house. She needed Spike on her side, helping her to learn more and because he was a useful tool. Also because she suddenly found him very relatable. He really was the only one she could actually talk to and for some reason that made her want him around. He just wouldn't leave her mind.

Lying about, staying away from the sun, and sleeping during the day, would be easy. The lack of appetite, drinking of blood, and cross burn would be hard. She would just have to act as normal as possible until she had a plan in place. She would have to be so good, Giles wouldn't even know what was going on. That would be tricky.

The first thing she did while Willow was cleaning up the uneaten popcorn, well Buffy didn't eat any, and put the movie away was find Spike's cell and gave him a call, moving towards the dining room to keep an eye on Willow and make sure she didn't hear.

"Look here Niblet," Spike answered on the fourth ring. "Willow kicked me out when she got home. I still get my onion no arguments, you got that?"

"Spike."

"Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on now?"

"Everyone is coming over and-and the smells and the blood and… I don't know if I can handle it. Alone. I was wondering…" She waited for him to say something, anything but he just let the line lie dead for a bit. "God don't make me say it."

"What?" He was obviously amused in his tone of voice and Buffy couldn't see the way he smirked, biting his lower lip between his teeth.

"Can you come over? All these humans smooshed into a room together and I'm going to have to kill half the town before I get rid of the headache."

"Did you get the blood in the fridge?"

"Yeah I drank it. I'm alright, for now, but that wasn't exactly the headache I was talking about."

"What? Don't want to be with the cheery 'everything is love and peanuts' gang. Need me there to hold your hand?"

"Love and peanuts?" Where did he come up with this stuff? "And no. I just- I can't- I don't know what to do yet. It's not the right time. Plus Giles is coming soon. Don't want them spilling to him."

"Don't worry slayer. I'll be there." He had already been planning to stop by unannounced so this just worked out fine. "Just make sure Dawn has my onion blossom."

"Okay?" Maybe she would have to try this onion blossom as a vamp. Maybe there was a reason he was always on about it. "We should leave early too. Go patrolling or something."

"You want to go patrolling?" He leaned the phone in the crook of his shoulder as he sorted out his duster, planning to walk to her house. This was really going better than he imagined. The fact that Buffy was a soulless vampire aside, he could get used to her needing him around. The idea of patrolling with her, just the two of them, sounded perfect. "With me?"

"Well-"

In his earlier days, before the chip, he would have questioned any vamp who killed his own kind as if it was his job, like a slayer, like every demon did with him. But as she and he were in particular situations, it could be forgiven in his mind. Still didn't mean he couldn't tease her about it. "Killing your own kind?"

"You do it." Buffy was on her way up the stairs to find an outfit that would cover her chest as well as the turtleneck and still not look like grandma clothing. "Besides, need to make myself still look normal. I have all this pent up energy still. Need to get rid of it somehow."

"Well I have a way." She instantly hit her head at her wording as Spike's voice dropped to what he must have considered his 'seductive' tone. "You'd get your chance to see how soft my new bed really is."

"Oh shut up." She couldn't help giggling anyway. "Just get yourself here."

"Yeah, yeah. Will do boss."

* * *

"Buffy!" Tara was first to greet her before going off to kiss Willow after everyone had made it home from the Magic Box. Apparently it was a schedule they all kept to. Everyone would meet there, Dawn would do her homework, and then they would all go to the Summers house to get ready for patrol.

"She's awake!" Xander was next, running over to give her a hug, driving her insane. "Look at you, walking, talking, breathing." Buffy chuckled to herself. "You're the picture of fine health."

"Buffy!" Dawn came running in with another hug, driving that insane up to bat shit crazy, before they all backed off to give her some room. Not enough room to stop the thoughts of taking an axe from the cabinet and slashing all of them open in one good go.

"Hey guys." Buffy nodded at them, hoping that was something she would normally do.

"Anya has pizza-" Xander looked around for the boxes but didn't see them or her. "I better go help her."

"And I have Spike's onion flower thing." Dawn chimed in holding up a to-go box. "Where is he?"

"He's coming over soon." Buffy said with a small smile. At least Xander wasn't in the room to complain. Maybe it would have been entertaining if he was. Then she could tell him to shut up and he wouldn't be able to say anything. She could really milk the being dead thing if she really wanted to.

"I'll put it in the fridge." Willow said coming forward to grab it. "I'll put it next to his blood."

Blood? The blood that was gone because Buffy drank it? That blood? "I got it!" Buffy said, running to grab the box from Willow.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Gonna get some more cranberry anyway. Never enough vitamins or whatever is in this stuff."

"Okay."

"Hello everyone." Anya held the door open for Xander who held three pizza boxes in his hands.

"So Wills, how's she doing?" Xander asked after setting down the boxes in the living room and double checking Buffy was out of the room and out of earshot, or so he thought.

"Fine. She's a little zoney. I think she just has a lot on her mind."

"Does she remember?" Tara asked with a hand on Willow's arm.

"No. I think she may have had a dream about it but she didn't remember anything."

"Should we ask her to patrol tonight?" Xander asked as he opened a box and stuffed a good size bit of cheese into his mouth.

"Isn't it a bit soon for that?" Tara asked as she too grabbed a slice.

"I don't know." Anya said as Xander handed her a piece. "She had no issues destroying those bikers. She may even want to fight. With all that time in a hell dimension I'm sure she'll feel right at home if she kills a few demons."

"Well we'll just have to ask her." Willow said as she shifted the boxes to get at the peperoni.

"Yeah." Xander nodded. "We can always send Spike out if not."

"Gonna let me have all the fun? How nice of you." Spike appeared in the archway, leaning against the beam and glaring at Xander.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Xander shot back.

"Well I don't know about you but I was invited."

"By who?"

"Buffy." Willow said quickly, trying to stop the fight.

"Right." He smirked at the twerp and turned to Dawn. "Now tell me you have my onion."

"It's in the fridge." Dawn said smiling at him.

"Thanks Little Bit. Want any?"

"No. I got cheese with grease thanks." Dawn help up her slice before taking a bit bite.

"Well I-"

"I wasn't talking to you whelp." Spike left the room before Xander could explain he was only saying Spike couldn't have any pizza.

"Kill me." Buffy whispered to Spike as soon as he walked in the kitchen. She had his onion blossom out on the table having microwaved it as soon as she smelled him walking in. She took a bite out of it and didn't actually think it was that bad. She also finished off the blood by way of cranberry juice again.

"Can't do that pet. You're already dead." He whispered back, leaning on the table, noticing her new outfit. The shower really cleaned her up nice and her hands looked almost all the way healed. Her cross burn would stay a bit longer because that's just how it was being a vamp but the sweater she wore covered it nicely. Looking at the place he knew it to be he couldn't help the image of her in just that skimpy little lace bra resurfacing. He'd caught her changing a couple of times when outside her house but it was nothing like her undressing in front of him. He couldn't let his thought linger too far though, he reminded himself, as he made sure his bottom half was hidden by the table. "Though I'll kill you more if you keep eating my onion blossom."

"Do they really think I can't hear them?"

"Humans. They forget others have ears. Luckily, I'm your savior."

"How's that?" He reached into his pocket and took out another jar of the horrible smelling pig's blood. "Oh god not more of that stuff."

"Give me a mug." He popped open the jar and tilted it into the empty mug, sliding it into the microwave and letting it do its job. Truthfully he could give Buffy some real, not gross human blood. Just because he couldn't drink it didn't mean she couldn't. But he remembered how it was. It was pure glory to drink it but hell and a half to go through withdrawal. She would be better not knowing.

When the timer beeped he slid the jar to the table and took out another small jar mixed with spices he found helped with the stuff. It wasn't much, just a couple of kitchen usuals but it helped.

"Thanks." Buffy took the heated mug now smelling of clove, cinnamon, ginger, and sage. Tentatively she brought it to her lips and took a small sip, a moan she did not mean to sound escaping from her lips. "Oh god."

"Better?"

"Much." Another few gulps and she couldn't stop the noises coming from her. This wasn't just something to dull the ache, it was lighting her brain on fire. Everything just felt so right as the heat of the blood reached her belly and the dizziness set in. "So much."

"Keep making noises like that. We'll give the humans something to listen to."

"Pig." Probably wasn't the right adjective she was looking for based off the noises she was making while drinking the pig's blood.

"Bitch." He smirked back, fully understanding the irony.

As she regretfully finished the glass she knew she had to face the rest of the group so she rinsed it in the sink and grabbed fresh cranberry juice to keep up the disguise. "Well let's go then."

In a matter of moments Buffy was wishing she could leave the little pizza party. Everyone joined around her in the living room, all avoiding asking her the questions that could set her on edge and instead trying to clue her in on all she missed while gone. It didn't really matter to her, though she was curious when Anya kept trying to hint at something big changing and Xander kept trying to shut her up. She was wishing for the fight to happen so she could just slip away unnoticed.

Instead she was forced to sit and listen and nod along until she couldn't stand it anymore. She found her attention being brought back over to Spike, his power coursing over the others, sitting on his own distant from the group just off to the corner, in the dark. Only Willow's power seemed on the same level as his. She was no where near his strength but the power of her witchcraft was evident over the humans surrounding her. Buffy thought she must have just been sensitive to it though, her being her sire and already knowing she was a witch and all.

Still Spike was the one she found herself looking at. Dawn was closest to him, trying to include him in the conversation he didn't want to be a part of. As the thumping noise in the room grew unbearably loud, she found it easy to stare at him and watch him watching them. His eyes were mostly darting around the room, lost in his own thoughts, but eventually he would feel the eyes on him and catch her staring, to which she would promptly look away. Why did she keep getting drawn to him?

After the fourth time he winked and stood and announced that he would be doing everyone's job and go out patrolling, inviting only Buffy along for the ride. The others started to object, something about her health, but before they could even finish a sentence she was saying bye and running out the back door.

They had walked around the main graveyard for a while, not actually running into any trouble, much to their disappointment, so Buffy took the time for the questions that popped into her mind.

"I don't feel anything." Buffy's statement kind of came out of nowhere as they had just been talking about how horrible a movie Buffy found _The Princess Diaries_ to be but Spike could follow, mostly. "Is that normal?"

"What do you mean?"

"Physically I feel. A lot. But I don't feel anything. Other than annoyed really. I mean I feel betrayed and angry but I remember living before. There was something. Something more. Something worth living for. Well not that I'm alive now."

"Makes sense." Spike nodded with his hands balling into fists in his pockets trying not to take her ' _something worth living for'_ as a hint at suicidal thoughts. He wasn't about to lose her again. "You had a purpose before. A fire in your heart, driving you to save everyone and everything. We just need to get that back."

Looking down Buffy turned the wooden stake over in her hands. Funny, it was always her weapon of choice. It always had the ability to kill her but it somehow seemed more of a threat. She had a short list of weaknesses before death and in her unlife that was limited even more. Still, all that power and a piece of bark was now in the top three.

"Not sure I want that exactly. Look where that got me. Saving the world killed me."

"We'll figure it out. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid. No staking yourself or running outside at noon alright?"

"I'm a demon now Spike. I'm not getting back to heaven. I don't plan on killing myself. I really will end up in hell."

"Well aren't you optimistic."

"Oh like you're the poster boy for optimism."

"Well you used to be." His voice dropped dramatically, put out at the thought of his lost Buffy. She was still there, right next to him but he had to remember she wasn't the same. She looked the same, felt the same, talked the same, laughed the same, hell she even smelled like her old self, to a point, but she wasn't the same. Even how she looked at him while the brady bunch were all yapping just made it obvious. She never used to look at him before and especially not with that sense of longing he got from her. That was how he looked at her before she died. He just thought it had to do with her being a new vamp, completely lost. He would have been lost too if it wasn't for Dru. "Optimistic, I mean."

"Sorry." Buffy pouted, a little put off that they had just been chuckling and he could so soon turn his thoughts back to how she used to be. She wasn't that girl anymore. "Being killed can really take that out of you." She stopped walking and pulled Spike to a stop, making him look over at her. "And since I'm stuck this way, I want you to teach me. Teach me vamp things."

"I would think you, being the slayer and all, would already know everything."

"Don't make me kick your ass." She held the stake threateningly in between the two of them.

"Careful slayer. Wood beats vamp every time."

"See, lesson one."

"No, lesson one is never threaten your master."

"So you're my master now huh?" Buffy outright laughed and she noticed how he chuckled too, leading the way on their walk again.

"Like I said, wood beats vamp."

"And you're the wood- oh god. Perverted much?"

"Only for you pet."

"I bet you say that to all the vamps." Without a rebuttal Buffy looked to see if Spike saw something they could hunt but he had his eyes on her, a small smile pressing on his features.

His thoughts turned around the idea that if he couldn't have his perfect human Buffy back, then maybe he could deal with this new vamp version, especially if he had the chance to be around her so much, at least until they figured something out. While she wasn't herself...she kind of was. The love he had for her was starting to blind him to her demon side and he knew it would completely if he didn't stop it right away.

"What?" Buffy asked with a laugh as Spike's smile refused to leave his face.

"Come on." He chuckled, leading another path between the stones. "Let's find you a vamp to kill. You're far too feisty with all that energy."

"I thought you liked me feisty." She called, barley having to jog to catch up to him.

"That I do love. That I do."

Fuck it. He always was love's bitch. If it blinded him, so be it.


	4. Leak In The Basement

"Buffy?" Dawn crept around the corner of her sister's room, sticking her head through the door and carefully whispered to the sleep girl that she was afraid would burst into the bitch from the morning before at any moment. "There's a leak in the basement."

Buffy growled low and loud as she flipped onto her back and crossed an arm over her closed eyes. Peeking through she could tell no sun was in the room, so that wasn't a problem. The problem was the blood filled human waking her up after so few hours of sleep. Spike and she did manage to find one vamp the night before but it was barely a challenge for her. She got to play with it a bit, leading it through a maze of gravestones, flipping, jumping, and tackling, wounding it then letting it go again and again. It was fun but the only one they ran into before the sun started to rise and they had to part ways.

"So you go fix it."

Dawn breathed out, already anxious of Buffy's reaction. They had tried fixing it. "Well we were going send Xander down there but he said he was more of a wood guy and then none of us could reach and I don't know where the wrench is anyway. So I was going to call a plumber but I wanted you to know and-"

"Oh my god." How was it that she'd been dead for months and they still didn't know where the fucking wrench was? And weren't ladders invented? "Fine. I'll get it. Give me a minute."

"Thanks." Dawn smiled and ran from the room, allowing the morning monster the minute she needed.

Waiting for her in the kitchen were the familiar faces of her friends and family; Xander, Willow, and Tara. Anya was on her way over after a late start.

"How's Buffy?" Willow asked hopefully when she saw Dawn enter the room.

"She's grumpy." She muttered back, slumping into a kitchen chair.

"Probably because she went to bed two hours ago." Tara explained with a small frown. Maybe they shouldn't have let her go patrolling with Spike.

"Only two?" Willow asked back with a frown of her own. Well now she felt bad for telling Dawn to wake her up. She thought she'd of come in much earlier than that. She had to of been out all night. Spike's doing probably. She would have to have another little chat with him. If she could control herself. Magic still crackled every time she pictured his face, his unnecessary accusations playing out in her mind.

"Yeah I heard her come in late." Tara answered. She always was a lighter sleeper than her partner. "A night of late patrolling I guess."

"Maybe she turned nocturnal." Xander joked. "Not that she wasn't before. Our little Buffy bat."

"Yeah maybe." Willow nodded while double checking the stairs for their friend. Nocturnal wouldn't be anything too weird or out of the ordinary. But somehow…it just didn't feel quite right.

Buffy did eventually roll out of bed and fumble her way down the stairs. Not only was she a little off balance due to the lack of sleep and the horrible headache that started to form with all the human blood and thumping in the house, she also managed to fall straight on her ass when she reached the bottom of the stairs and realized the sun was shining through the door window. It was a close call, her foot almost stepping into the pain promising beams, but she managed to fall and twist her body back into a much less compromising position.

Upon reaching the kitchen door there were the usual cheery greetings made whenever she surfaced from her room. There was a reason she didn't want to get up. The high pitched chorus of _'look who's up'_ made herself want to change her mind, trip back, and throw herself into that door light. Burning alive sounded rather pleasant compared to having to smile like she was, pretending to be happy that they commented on her awakeness, like it was a fucking magic trick. Look who's up? Someone who functions like a regular human being, waking up. Well…human not being a key term.

After asking, well more demanding, the blinds be shut she promptly made her way to the cellar where she found the wrench in with the tools like they always were. Did they not even look for it? The ladder seemed to be missing but after a glance around she saw the small stepping stool hiding in the corner.

It was so easy to be in the cellar, surrounded by the dark and the chill of the underground. The walls were thick and she could barely even hear the outside world, apart from her sister running up and back down the stairs to grab the phone.

The leak was easy enough to find without being prompted in its direction. All she had to do was close her eyes and the _drip drip drip_ brought her right to the problem. It wasn't even that bad a leak. It could have waited until the afternoon when she was planning to get up.

"Wrench." She pulled the wrench to the joint in the pipe, fitting it down and clamping it into place. "Do your job so I can go back to bed." The twisting was hard because the pipes were rusted but the strength running through her muscles made it completely possible, it was only a tad annoying. Or was that something(one) else?

"Are you sure you don't want me to call a plumber?" Dawn rattled the phone in her hand looking down at the guy's number Xander gave her. "I've got the number right here."

"Shut up Dawn, I got this." Just one more pull around and the clinking of the water stopped completely. But just as she started to step down and run to the comfort of her nice dark room, the water rushed through harder. She could hear it all swarming through the pipes and in one loud shot, it exploded out and at least half the pipes surrounding her broke off letting the water free and sending it gushing through the room. "God damn it!" She screamed as water started to pour over her body.

"What happened?!" Dawn screamed from the top of the stairs, where she ran from the sprays in hope of staying dry. It didn't work great but she was nowhere near as wet as Buffy.

"What do you think happened?!" Buffy screamed in her sister's face when she reached the top of the stairs, glaring down to the bottom where the impending puddle started to form.

"Oh no!" Willow exclaimed at the sight of the wet Summers. "Dawn go get changed for school. Here Buffy, here's the plumber's number."

"Yeah thanks."

Could she kill them out of pure embarrassment? Just to save herself from the mocking? Would Spike allow that?

She doubted it.

Buffy called the plumber and waited for him to show up as she wrung the water out of her hair and clothes. When he answered he said he couldn't come for an hour but she wasn't having any of that. A small threat may have escaped her lips in the form of; _'If you don't get down here right now this job will be the last job you ever do. Water is your specialty isn't it? That mean you have special abilities like breathing under it? Cus we can test that theory._ And that's when Xander promptly took the phone and talked to the plumber by name, apologizing and saying something about _'not a morning person'_. The result was still the same. The plumber came over quick and the problem would be solved quick so she could go back to bed.

* * *

"Wow that's a lot of water." Dawn followed the plumber's path to the door as soon as he arrived, being the one to let him in, and saw just how much water had cascaded in in the minutes they were gone. It was already looking like inches. "How much can these small pipes hold?"

"It doesn't work like that." Tara shook her head at Dawn as she finished eating her breakfast. "Water's hooked up to the city."

"So basically we get a pool in the basement?"

"Basically."

"Cool. I've always wanted a pool." She turned to Buffy with a smirk on her face. "Told you we should have called the plumber."

"Well congratulations." Buffy glared right back. "You were right."

Oh god how much she just wanted to take Tara's orange juice glass and smash it down on the table, throw a sharp piece at Dawn's neck and…she needed to stop thinking that. She knew she wouldn't actually kill her sister but something was bound to happen. She needed to get out of the room. "Wake me when the plumber's done." She walked out of the room, towards the living room, and dumped herself on the couch.

With Buffy having left the room, Willow walked over to the blinds above the kitchen sink and re-opened them, enjoying the sun for the second time that morning. She always had been a bit of a morning person. She just couldn't help it. Buffy used to like the sun too. It used to remind her she was human, well part human, after every hunt. It separated her from the vamp world. During the day, she got to pretend she was normal.

"You know, mom used to call us vampires whenever we closed all the shades." Dawn shoved a piece of toast into her mouth and chewed slowly before realizing what she was saying. "It was before all the slayer stuff. It's not really all that funny now I guess."

"No it's funny." Tara nodded but couldn't bring herself to laugh.

"Just not quite haha funny yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And a big Sunnydale round of applause for Tito the amazing, plumber extraordinaire." Xander called as he followed the plumber up the stairs and out of the mess.

"How's everything looking down there?" Tara asked Tito and Xander.

"Like we should start gathering up two of every animal." Xander answered with a smile.

"Basically your pipes are shot. I mean the whole system is gonna have to be replaced." Tito explained as Willow came to look at the invoice. "Which means full copper re-pipe job."

"Full copper re-pipe?" She held out her hand and took the paper from him. "That sounds potentially pricey." Looking down, she saw the number and gasped in shock. This was not going to help their problem.

"Well if you don't mind, I don't want to be here when you tell your sister." Tito started to leave, looking just the slightest bit nervous. "If you have any questions, my number's on the invoice."

"That's a weird phone number." Dawn said looking over Willow's shoulder. "Oh wait. Is that the bill?"

"Hey." Xander cut Dawn off. "Tito cut you a good deal down there. Those are his bargain prices. And I did a little haggling for you."

"Buffy is not going to like this." Willow shook her head at the invoice and looked over her shoulder at the living room. Pulling Xander to the side so Dawn wouldn't hear, she started to whisper her worries. "We're already low on money. With all those late bills…I don't know how we'll afford this."

"Well I know no one wants to hear this but maybe we should talk about the move again." Xander whispered back but it didn't matter, Dawn heard.

"Buffy'll figure out a way." Dawn growled, taking the invoice and walking towards her sleeping sister. There was no way she was discussing moving again. This was where she grew up, it was where her mom lived, it was where they belonged. Too much happened there to move into some stranger's house.

"Dawn." Xander tried to call but knew it was pointless. "I'm just saying." He turned to the two girls left. "Renting out a place would be cheaper and you could look closer to the school. Maybe even walking distance. Save on gas money."

"I don't know Xander." Willow shook her head, not believing she was actually listening to the idea. It wasn't that it was a bad idea but every time it was brought up, Dawn would through a fit. Honestly Willow didn't like the idea of moving much either. It was her home too. But if they couldn't afford it they would just be kicked out anyway. Then there was Buffy whose home it actually was. What would she think? Especially sporting the mood she had been in since coming back. "Buffy just got back. Do we really want to move her so soon?"

"Yeah. It may shock her more than she already is. We at least have to wait till we know she's better."

"Buffy." Dawn shook Buffy's shoulder in an attempt to wake her up as everyone started to move to follow her into the living room. "Buffy wake up."

"What?" She rolled around, putting her arm back over her eyes. What was that, two minutes more of sleep? She only conked out after the plumber had left. She couldn't help waking when he was leaving. It was hard not to roll over when he walked by. He was fat so the blood had a harder time. Each pump was slow and tantalizing and there was an extra spicy rush when he saw her notice him. He was definitely scared. She wondered what adrenaline actually tasted like. Spike didn't know they had plumbing issues. He wouldn't know a plumber was called. A fat plumber nobody? No one would notice him gone. But she wasn't giving her vamp mentor enough credit. He would figure it out somehow. "Can't it wait?"

"Not really." Dawn grimaced. Usually she wasn't the one breaking bad news. Honestly it was more that people broke news to her. She'd seen it done many times but Buffy was really off and she was very afraid of how she would take it.

"What is it?"

"The plumbing bill. It's a bit…well…imagine a surprise party but it's at a dump and no one is there and what surprised you was the large pile of garbage you fell under."

Dawn tried giggling but Buffy wasn't amused. "What?"

"It's a bit…more than you would expect. All the pipes are busted so we need to replace them all. No choice."

"Well what's the big deal? We'll just pay the plumber."

"Yeah about that…Money is kind of…well-"

"Well what?"

"Should I grab the box?" Xander asked from across the room to no one in particular.

"Yeah, get Anya." Willow answered with a nod outside, where Anya had stopped for a phone call before coming in, while Tara reached out to squeeze her hand. They were really hoping to postpone this particular conversation until a later date.

"Well since you've been gone-"

"Dead you mean." Buffy corrected as Xander returned with Anya who waved a silent hello and brought a box out from under the table in the room. While everyone talked she pulled out papers, throwing them on the desk for Buffy to look at while she pulled the log books for herself. Buffy just saw a bunch of words 'due', 'late', 'bill', all having to do with money.

"Well yeah." Willow swallowed, squeezing Tara's hand one last time before jumping into what had happened. "Since then we've been trying to keep up the payments but everything just keeps adding up. There's the funeral costs, the mortgage, the utilities, school. Xander and Anya pitch in when they can. Even Spike forced in a few bucks, we didn't want, but it's a lot. They each have a place of their own so, well not Spike but still-"

"So you're telling me I'm broke?" Buffy rolled onto her arm and pushed herself into a sitting position, really fed up with the conversation already. Why were they trying to dance around her like she was an idiot or like she would explode any second? Alright the second one made sense.

"Well not quite." Willow answered while glancing at Dawn. They usually tried to have these conversations when she was out of the room but it wasn't like she was going to ask her to leave now. "But money is an issue."

"You're kind of almost out of it." Anya said looking down at the numbers.

"You're mother prepared everything really well." Tara tried to say before Buffy could question where her money went. "She had insurance, life insurance, but that only goes so far. After the hospital bills that is."

"They're a black pit where all money gets sucked into." Xander re-explained with sympathy.

"Anya's been helpful of keeping track of it all for you." Tara nodded in the girl's direction and everyone turned to look at her.

"And I have an idea of how you can get more money." Anya said timidly, her idea having already been shut down by the rest of the group before.

"Anya-" Xander, as always, was first to try and shut her up.

"Start charging!" She continued excitedly anyway. "For saving people I mean."

"Anya stop."

"No, let her talk." Buffy said, surprising everyone in the room. "It's either that or I'll have to collect money another way. There's always the burn the house down and collect the insurance money. We'd have to find a good way to burn it though, so it's not our fault. Maybe we could fix it on the plumbing somehow. Blame it on Tito so they can't deny us coverage. I think that's how that works." Looking out she saw a sea of very confused and worried faces. Well she thought it was a good idea. "Guys. I'm totally joking. Don't worry. I'll get the money. Even if I have to dance on a pole. Just don't ask where it came from." Again they didn't seem to get the joke. "Guys. Kidding." It stopped her from mentioning her idea of letting Tito finish the job and kill him before giving him a cent. It wouldn't fix all her problems but it would fix some; pipes and blood fix.

"There is the possibility of moving as well." Anya said and everyone, other than Buffy, started glaring daggers at her. That was the one thing they were not going to say and especially not in front of Dawn. But that was Anya, never very tactful. "It may not be best right now, especially you being broke and without a job, but for the future. So if you charge people to save their life, like a thank you, then you could have enough money for the bills and to stay in the house and even a little extra to save up for Dawn's college fund."

"Anya, you can't charge innocent people for saving their lives." Willow shook her head and the lack of morals Xander's girlfriend possessed. Sometimes it was really hard to like her. "What are you going to do if they don't pay? Let them die? What if they couldn't afford it? It's crazy."

"It's not crazy."

"Yes it is."

"No. Spi-"

"Would you two shut up?" Buffy asked, rolling her neck back along with her eyes.

"Come on Xander." Anya turned to her partner. "Back me up here."

He stared at her and then at Willow and then at her again. He had to say what he thought. He couldn't pretend he thought it was a good idea. "Anya I just don't-"

"Of course not." She slammed down her pen on the logs and started to stomp for the door. "You never take my side."

"Your side? I didn't think there were sides. Anya!" Xander started to get up and follow her, huffing at the ridiculousness and embarrassment he felt. "I'm not taking sides. I am your side."

"Those two." Willow said shaking her head. With Anya, even in her best moments, she didn't understand why they were together. It wouldn't last.

Taking one last look over the sea of debt swimming on her table Buffy yawned and sat back in her couch. Bed was more important than these stupid human issues. She wouldn't get there unless the lookers left. Why were they staring so much? "Don't you guys have somewhere to be? I'll figure it out."

"Okay. Yeah." Willow answered, worried about Buffy's snapping and lack of freaking out. Actually she was worried about the combination of the snapping and the mentioning of burning the house down and blaming it on someone else. Buffy wouldn't never joke about burning down a house, especially her own. She just had to be tired. Two hours of sleep. Very tired. "Well let's get going." She said to everyone else in the room, shooing them back towards the kitchen to grab their bags. "Or we'll all be late."

"Buffy-" Willow called back from the kitchen as Buffy headed for the stairs to her above ground room. So went her plans of maybe taking over the basement as her own space. She could hear that the water had stopped pouring, something Tito must have done, but wasn't about to go swimming in what was already down there. "Meet us at the Magic Box tonight. We'll eat dinner there."

"Sure fine." She grunted as she stomped up every step. "See you then."

* * *

Deciding whether or not to go to the Magic Box was a chore in itself. The jist of it was, of course she really, really, really did not want to go but they would worry if they didn't. She didn't feel like answering questions so she decided to go. That didn't mean she would have to go alone. A quick call and she managed to talk Spike into showing up with the premise of needing more pig's blood. It wasn't a complete lie. Her head was hurting and she did need it but it wasn't the only reason she wanted him there.

She waited till the last possible second, enjoying every ounce of her alone time before trudging her way over there. It was night so there weren't too many people on the street but they still tended to be distracting as she kept coming up with new murder scenarios in her head. A few of them didn't even involve drinking their blood. They were just distractions so she could get blood from others. She went from complicated targets to the simple ones, like the teens. Passing a couple of ones coming down the street from the Bronze she could tell they were completely wasted. It wasn't in their sloppy walking or sloppy talking but in their blood. She could smell the alcohol and she had to wonder if she would get drunk off it herself. Given the chance, she would see. Maybe it'd be the same with drugs. She'd never done drugs before.

When she reached a clear sidewalk with no people she took a moment to slow down and actually enjoy her walk. There was a reason vamps were associated with the moon and since she was a child of the night now, she could appreciate it just like they could. Most day walkers didn't really appreciate the sun they had and even thought it'd only been a few days, Buffy could see just how important it was. It brought so much to the humans, to her when she was, but only pain to her now. She had a new item in the sky to worship, something that would shine light over her body and provide the shadows she could hunt in. The night brought on a sort of power that made that feeling in her muscles sort of tingle and thrive. Dead or undead or whatever, she could still appreciate the beauty in it.

But then she reached the shop.

"Hey Buffy." Dawn greeted from behind a school book, a big smile on her face. Buffy half faked a smile back as the heat of the room and the smell of it clouded around her. So much for that serenity. "Did you hear a bank got robbed today?"

"Did they bring us the money?"

"No." Dawn half laughed as Buffy entered the room a bit more, shutting the door behind her. "Unfortunately the demon that robbed it did not consider us."

"Demon?"

"Yeah." Tara spoke next, sitting at the big round table a large pile of books surrounding her. "They showed a clip on the news so we're going to try and figure out what it is."

"Alright." Buffy glanced at the food on the checkout table and grimaced at the sight of the Chinese. "I'm going to work out for a bit."

"You don't want to research?" Willow asked as Buffy walked past the table towards the back room.

"No." She answered back with a cheery fake smile, something she really just needed to paint on. "I'd much rather punch things."

Willow waited a few minutes while she finished her dinner, all while glancing at the back room door in worry, before she finally decided to get up and see how Buffy was. They still hadn't had a proper talk and she really wanted one.

Everyone else wished her well and went back to doing their work as she entered the room and watched Buffy. She had changed into a tank top and was really laying it out on that punching bag. Willow tip toed around the room until she was on the opposite side and Buffy could see her in her line of view. Of course she didn't know Buffy actually heard her the second she had decided to come and was actually still working on how to block out the rest of the groups ramblings from behind the wall.

Willow popped up on the work bench and waited, saying the first thing that came to mind. "What'd you do to your chest?"

Buffy glanced down at the red marks that were left from the cross burn. It didn't look like anything but she couldn't say it was nothing. Obviously something happened. "Scratched myself on my coffin."

"Oh." Willow sighed out in complete guilt, deciding to change the subject. "Did you find out the money thing yet?"

"I said I would work on it." Buffy didn't stop her punches while she spoke, only going stronger with every strike. "I've only been up a couple of hours. Don't worry I'll figure it out."

"What about a loan?"

"Don't be stupid Willow. I have nothing to offer for a loan. I have no assets and no job. The bank won't give me money." Plus there was the whole meeting them at their office thing. She didn't think anyone credible would meet her past sundown. Well, loan sharks, but how did you get in touch with one of them? Even so, sounded like a lot of work for something she didn't plan on following through on. Helping the humans wasn't really in her plan of revenge.

"Well, have you thought about getting a job?"

"Yup."

"And?"

"And I'm a college drop out. I'm not about to get any sort of job that will pay anything. Minimum wage will do nothing." Sun, not caring, humans, and revenge. All other reasons too. "I'll figure it out."

Willow really wanted to believe her but it didn't seem like she was doing all she could. The old Buffy would have been all over it, talking it over, coming up with a plan, or at least helping them in research while she was thinking. "But Buffy don't you-"

"I said!-" An extra hard punch in frustration made the entire bag swing out a lot higher than it had been, angling up to a point where it was on the verge of tapping the ceiling. That was not a good show of human weakness. That was a show of vampiric/slayer combo strength. Maybe Willow wouldn't notice the difference. She reached around and grabbed the swinging bag and pulled it back into its proper position, starting up the normal punches again. "I said I'd figure it out."

"Okay." Willow gasped while looking at the hinges that connected the bag connected to on the ceiling, making sure they weren't damaged. That was a very large reaction, though Buffy really had been quite bipolar lately. There was no doubt that something was wrong. "Um Buffy? Can we talk?"

"About what?"

"Well it just seems. Well since you've been back you've been a bit…I don't know. Unhappy. You haven't been really expressiony. You've just been kinda zombie-like, well not zombie, I don't mean to say zombie, but um…you've been zoning and then short bits of anger and well…I don't think it's good for you."

It took a moment for Buffy to think of what she wanted to say. She really wasn't good at pretending to be a human, was she? Guilt trip seemed good. "I was dead and now I have a bunch of bills to pay. How did you expect me to be?"

"You're right. It's just- You're right." It didn't feel right but Willow didn't want to start a fight. Buffy wouldn't have any reason to lie. She was fine, she would be fine. She jumped off the bench and started to walk for the door, apology in her voice. "Forget I said anything. I'll just…go…help the others."

"How's she doing?" Tara asked as soon as Willow shut the back room door behind her.

"Punching things." Willow gave a fake smile hoping to avoid explaining the fit she just caused her friend to have. It was not how she wanted that to go. With a frown she started walking back to the research table when she saw Dawn with a book in her hands. "Dawn you're doing research?" She was a bit young for that still, wasn't she? There were some very violent passages in those books, not to mention the pictures.

"Barely." Dawn pouted for a moment before flipping the book in her hands open and twisting it so Willow could see. "Though I did find this guy. You guys think it's him?"

"Yeah looks like it."

"Should we bring Buffy in on this?" Xander asked, looking at the door as if Buffy would magically decide to come through.

"Let her get a few more punches out." Willow said, sitting down and reading about the demon Dawn found.

Buffy ignored everything they said from their table and continued her violence against the inanimate object, picturing Willow's face for fun and loving how the anger fueled her further, allowing her to let the mask slip and her vampire face to shine through. She was so focused she almost didn't hear the other vamp slip in through the outside door.

Spike stood in the doorway a moment to admire the view in front of him. Golden glowing eyes, sharp pointed teeth, and fists as fast as freight trains all outlining the beautiful woman showing off the muscles in her arms and the small red mark on her chest. Even the biggest blemish couldn't take away from how remarkable she really was. "Brought you your blood pet." He shuffled in front of the bag she was punching and wiggled the jar in the air.

"Thanks." Buffy muttered, still focused on making the bag take Willow's place.

"You don't seem so chipper?" He shoved the blood to the side on the floor and held the bag for her so her target wouldn't sway as much, feeling every punch she gave as it transferred through the material. "What's crawled up your bumb? If you want I can check for myself." He gave her a half-smile smirk but it was lost on her completely.

"Bills." Buffy grunted before throwing a few more and stopping to explain her loss of a situation. "How the hell you guys afforded the house I won't figure out."

"Wasn't really a we thing. They weren't about to ask me for money. Wouldn't like where it comes from."

"So Willow said. She also thinks there's something wrong with me. This pretending is exhausting."

"If you tell them what's going on-"

"No. Not yet." She gave a few more punches into the bag, knowing Spike would understand eventually, before speaking again. "I have to pay them now, don't I? I mean, I don't care, but the human me would. How the hell am I supposed to do that? I'm not getting a job. I'd have to be around humans and food and most jobs are during the day. I'm not doing that."

"Well…" She resumed her punching again. "There are other ways at getting money."

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Just leave it to me. I know a guy."

"Oh come on." She stopped and shifted her face back into its human form, something she was getting more and more used to. Shifting back to demon would be easy. She had it under control. "I want to have some fun." She leaned on the bag, her face inclined towards the other vamp as he held the bag in an awkward, almost hug with her just on the other side. "Giles is coming home tomorrow. I need a pick-me-up before I have to deal with him."

"Gramps is coming tomorrow?" Spike laughed a bit and turned from his position. "Hell you're on your own for him."

"Don't leave me!" She called out, a little louder than she meant as the bag slipped when he moved, really not wanting to be left with the watcher, and also slightly worried that Spike was actually going back to his crypt now after dropping her blood off. She knew that was the reason she gave him but for some reason, she just liked having him around. She really was bad at pretending to be her human self. Then she noticed Spike's chuckling. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"I've just always wanted to hear you say that." He grinned wider at her when she tried to hide her smile and again found himself lost between the old and new Buffy. Oh what this girl did to him. This kind of hold could not be allowed. And yet she'd always have it.

"Shut the fuck up and give me my blood." She chuckled herself while reaching out her hand, ignoring the part of her that asked why she didn't slap him for saying something like that. The human her would have. Well, she even had to remind herself, she wasn't human. "How long do I have to keep drinking this anyway?"

"Well you're a newly formed vamp." He gave her the blood and she tossed it into the bag she brought with her for that exact purpose. She wasn't drinking it cold anymore. "Normally you'd have drunk a full human by now. You'll probably have to drink more of these at least until you've drank as much as a human. Plus you're drinking yourself so I don't know. Couple of days? Then it depends on you telling them." He nodded towards the door where the research team was working.

"Great." She gave him a sly glance before she faced him and started bouncing on her toes, angling her arms in a way that made her breasts look bigger, and giving him the perfect begging face. "Or you could just help me kill a human."

"No." He snapped back, practically immune to her puppy dog look. Empathy, he had, but the answer was still going to be no. She had a hold but he was still going to give hope a chance. Maybe he could still fix her. He had already been looking into it when he wasn't around her, though his results were coming up zero.

"Spike-"

"Buffy I told you no."

"Why?"

"I told you why."

"Yeah, yeah, Buffy before death wouldn't do such a thing. But I am dead. I'm like you. You of all people should understand."

"Ah. But I'm not people." Since he wasn't people he knew exactly how much hunger could drive a vamp to the kill. She had to have been thinking about it a lot already. He scolded himself for thinking he could leave her for so long. He needed to find more excuses to be with her to keep an eye on her. He didn't want anything happening to Dawn accidentally. Also, the one on one time wasn't bad. It may have been clouding his judgement but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it. "I told you no and if you even make so much as a move to kill someone, I will tell all of them what you really are."

"Fine." She recoiled at his stern and threatening tone. That was usually reserved for when she gave him death threats or when she bad talked his soap. "I was only joking."

"No you weren't."

"Fine. Half joking. I don't get why you care so much."

"Really?"

"I don't know why you'd want me the way I was before." She paced voicing the thought that had been bothering her yet again. They had already talked about it but it needed to be brought up again. He was a vamp, she was a vamp, they could take on the world together. Well, she could and he could watch but at least that was something. That chip really was a bitch. No matter what though, she wasn't going back to being human. He would accept that at some point but she knew enough not to bring that up again. "It doesn't make sense."

Spike smiled a sad smile, his thoughts popping back to a time before her vampireness was an issue. It didn't make a lick of sense really. All she ever did was beat up on him, especially when he tried to win her over. At his best she was his worst. Then again she always did have a weird sense in men. Peaches, one-night-stand guy, Captain Cardboard… She really wasn't a good judge of character.

So why didn't she ever go for him? She seemed much more open to him now. So why wasn't he making his move?! His demon sure was begging for it and yet he knew he couldn't. The human Buffy was still around somewhere and he fought too hard for her before to give her up so easily now. "It didn't make sense to me either love."

Buffy smiled at the shy look he had and smiled wider when she realized the only real, non-fake smiles she wore, were when she was with Spike. He really was the only one that wasn't driving her crazy and she had to smile because she had this moment with him, alone, like the night before. Patrolling was great when it was just the two of them. They would have to do that again.

She suddenly felt shy herself and didn't really understand why but it led her to awkwardly sitting down on the couch and fumbling with her hair to make sure it was all still stuck in her ponytail. "I suggested we burn down the house for insurance money today."

"And how'd the lot take that?" Spike slumped into the spot next to her and crossing his ankle over his leg, leaning into the corner, fumbling to get a cigarette lit.

"You should have seen their faces." She started to laugh, a real genuine laugh, and Spike be damned-er if it wasn't the best thing he'd heard in over 150 days. He joined her in her laughter, maneuvering his cigarette between his fingers. "Hey can I try one of those?"

"You wanna smoke?"

"Never done it and there has to be a reason so many people do. Besides, it's not like I need my lungs any more."

Spike knew he should have said no right off the bat but he couldn't help conjuring the image of Buffy with a stick between her teeth, smoke curling around her lips, maybe lying on her back, maybe under the covers of his new bed showing off the bare skin she donned underneath. Smoking was always a bit sexy if the right person was doing it. "When we're alone pet." He nodded to the door again and she nodded, deciding to tell him why they were all out there.

"Some demon robbed a bank today."

"Yeah?"

"I guess I'm supposed to go after it or something."

"That would be the Buffy thing."

"They're doing research on it now."

"So shouldn't we be helping them?"

"God." She slumped down further in her seat and groaned at the ceiling. "Why?"

"Because you don't want them to know what you are and because I'm bored. Fighting a demon sounds like just the thing." He started to get up off the couch and an idea lit up in Buffy's mind making her smile a snarky smile, worthy of Spike's even.

"So, fight me."

"I'm not fighting you Buffy." Spike chuckled back, holding out his hand to help her off the couch that she refused to take.

"Come on." She pouted like a toddler, throwing her feet on the ground a bit and whining. "I need a fight."

"We're patrolling in a couple hours. Hold yourself till then."

The pout turned full smile when he brought up the patrolling. They hadn't talked about it but she was all for it and kind of flattered that he just assumed they would go together without her even asking. "Just one fight?"

"No. A Scooby will come down and see me fighting you…that's the last thing I need. One punch, no headache, they'll put two and two together."

"Ugh. Fine." She finally took his hand and used it to pull herself off the couch, impressed by how his skin felt beneath hers. She had noticed before, how he was almost-warm-but-not-really as they matched temperature, but by making her hand linger, she really noticed it. It was so much better than the boiling heat the humans gave off. "We'll go do research like good little humans."

"Fighting the good fight." He swung her around by their joined hands and pushed her towards the door. "It's what we're about."

"For now."


	5. It's A Miracle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bare with a tiny bit more canon and know things will pick up soon and things will be explained. Spike's actions included (I would be asking the same thing if I were you (my FF review questions)). It'll all make sense in the next few chapters but always ask or double check to make sure I'm putting it in. You guys keep me on my toes!
> 
> Read and enjoy :)

Dawn was trying to decide how to pronounce the demons name and had just settled on, "M'Fashnik.", when she turned and found Buffy and Spike had entered the room.

"M'what now?" Buffy decided to ask.

"That's the name of the demon." Dawn explained, flipping the book back to the middle of the table.

"Ah I know them." Spike walked over and double checked his knowledge with the picture drawn inside. "Mercenary demons. Sell their services to the highest bidder."

"Why is he here?"

"So we're looking for someone with money?" Willow asked Spike, every one of them ignoring Xander's usual rude tone. He sputtered and muttered to himself but no one really understood what he said, or cared.

"Yeah or at least a way of giving the demon the money. Doesn't mean they have to have it."

"You think the robbery was-" Tara started to ask if the robbery was involved in paying the demon off but trailed off when everyone else in the room turned to look behind her, their faces all in shock. She too turned to see what they were all looking at.

"Oh bloody hell." Spike complained, fishing in his pocket for another cigarette. He was really hoping to avoid this.

"Oh no." Buffy whispered to herself but she heard the small chuckle from the vamp behind her.

This was too early. She wasn't ready.

"Oh god." Giles stood inside the door, a bag of luggage dropped to his feet as he walked forward, not believing his eyes. "Buffy?" She tried to fake a grin but Spike pushed her from behind making her walk forward and her smile fell remarkably when Giles was within reach and he wrapped her up in a hug. "You're alive." No shit she was alive. Well, not alive. She needed to work on those thoughts. "You're here." So was he, squeezing her tight and she had to just stand there and take it because if she pushed him up against the wall and started drinking him it would be _'wrong'_. It was tempting though. He smelled of tea and airplane but it didn't mask the overwhelming smell of human blood. The sound of his heart thumping was right inside her ear as he was taller than the other humans, his neck directly where her eardrum was. "And you're still remarkably strong."

"Oh." She must have been squeezing a bit tight, trying to control her blood lust. "Sorry." She wasn't all that sorry.

"Willow told me but I really didn't let myself believe it." Giles let her take a step back even if a part of him never wanted to let her go again. It had been far too long.

"Yeah well." She shrugged. "I'm here." And she really wished she wasn't. She should have ran out with Spike without checking in on anyone. Why did she listen to him?

"It's a miracle. You're-"

"Depends on your definition." She chuckled, looking back, met with smiles from everyone except Spike who was both trying to avoid the group and give her a stern warning with his eyes. She wasn't supposed to say how she actually felt.

"I suppose so." Giles nodded, not seeing anything wrong with her comment. "Though you always were a miracle to me."

Well that was a plain awkward thing to say. She didn't know how to respond to that. She just wanted him gone. He wasn't even supposed to be there. "I thought you were coming tomorrow."

"Earlier flight." He chuckled, getting his first glance at the rest of the people in the room. "Time differences and all."

"Right."

"Well." He walked forward towards the smiling bunch he had said goodbye to only days before, for what he thought would be a much longer period of time. He would never have told them forever but after losing Buffy, he never imagined returning. "Hello everyone. Dawn, Tara, Xander, Anya, Willow…" He turned to the vamp in the corner and greeted him with slightly less eagerness than everyone else. "Spike."

"Gramps." Spike greeted back with the same energy, dragging on that cigarette he fished out. Buffy gave him a suppressed smile from behind Giles' back but wiped her face clear when he turned back to face her. She managed to shoot Spike a quick glare which she hoped he would understand was a warning to stop making her want to laugh.

"Buffy…" Giles seemed a bit lost at what he wanted to say so she just waited, trying to hide her impatience. "If you want we can…in the weight room…if-if we can…"

"Sure." She cut him off in what she hoped didn't sound like a snap. He wanted to talk, she knew that. She also knew it would be hell, especially if he started stuttering like Tara. They could talk but only for so long before she snapped and there wasn't any guarantee she wouldn't e-e-e-e-e-eat h-hi-him.

"Well I'm gone." Spike announced, heading towards the front door, turning back only to yell back at Buffy. "Slayer I'll meet you-"

"Oh no." Willow ran forward fast, blocking his way towards the door. "Tell us more about this demon." She pointed towards the book and then pointed towards Giles and Buffy. "You two, go talk." If Buffy wouldn't talk to her about how she felt, she was sure she would talk to Giles. He was always better at getting her to say how she actually felt about things when it came to her own well being.

Giles led the way back into the back room as Buffy and Spike gave each other sympathetic looks. _Humans_.

Giles sat down on the couch and took a moment to breathe and look about the room and at the miracle standing in front of him. Of course he actually knew better. He knew why she was really back and using dark magic like that, it couldn't actually be considered a miracle. But that was not a conversation for Buffy at the moment, that was one for another time. He needed all the details first, details he would be getting from a certain adolescent, thinks she knows better, witch.

For now he had Buffy, standing there, alive as ever, walking and talking. He had accepted she was gone forever but now...

She wasn't quite herself, he could tell that. There was something…off about her. But that would be expected after a return from the dead. He just needed to learn what she actually went through. How was he meant to start a conversation like that?

"So-" He started, not really knowing where that sentence was going to end up.

Buffy noticed Giles' scrutiny over her entire body. She couldn't miss it, not in the dim room and not with her vamp eyes. It made her panic a bit. She wasn't ready to be left alone with him. Spike helped her understand some things the night before, answered her questions, helped her reign in all those unnecessary noises and sounds and lights and get control over her senses but she was still a vamp in training. What if she did something wrong? What if he realized her burn mark was not a scratch? She needed to get the subject off of her, even before it was ever on her. This was going to be one hell of a conversation.

"How was England or life or whatever?" She asked while she found her thrown away shirt and tossed it over her, covering the mark. That was at least one problem down.

"Well…not really sure what to say." He watched her move around the room deciding she didn't look like she had any injuries, though he did notice the red mark on her chest. It wasn't his place to pry though. "It wasn't that great but...um…I met with some friends, a few members of the council."

"Fun." She nodded awkwardly, slumping down into the opposite corner of the couch and wrapping her legs in front of her. Maybe if there was another barrier between him and her, he wouldn't notice the lack of pink in her features.

"Yes well nothing really to report."

Nothing to report? Then why was he still talking? Her foot started to tap as she watched him breathe in and back out again. The thumping was there again. Spike told her it was like white noise. If she paid attention to it, it would just get louder. Well what else was she supposed to listen to when he was just rambling?

Then he started to take his glasses off, cleaning them like he was so in the habit of doing. She could hear the squeaking of the glass and the creak of the old hinges but they weren't loud enough.

_Thump-thump._

"Well I guess-"

"And now you're back." She cut him off again, still aiming to make the conversation short, trying to focus on something else, anything else but that sound.

"Yes." He nodded, putting his glasses back on. Buffy was definitely on edge. His aim was not to interrogate her. He hoped he didn't come off that way. "It appears so."

"Well you know you don't have to stay. You can go back home." Was this pushing it too hard? She really didn't want him around, how else did you tell someone to get the hell away? There was some kind of fish metaphor right? She supposed it would be alright if she put a cheery spin on it, fake smile all the way. With teeth this time. "You saw me, I'm alive. You can leave."

"Well if you really want me to. I mean-"

"No." She gritted her teeth in the lie, keeping the smile. Of course she didn't want him to go, because she was human, or some other bullshit. "Not that I want you to. We wouldn't want you thinking that." She muttered to herself.

"No. I know." Giles nodded, turning to her on the couch, keeping his distance. "It's just leaving Sunnydale was difficult and returning was something unexpected."

"Inconvenient."

_THUMP!_

"No." He started to defend himself, not wanting her to think that at all. She was definitely troubled, her behavior and body language said it all. It just made him want to prove to her more that he would be there for her. Though, honestly, inconvenient was one of the things it was. He would just never actually say that.

"That wasn't really a question." She said back, not even pretending to care. She knew it was inconvenient and she knew he was lying. She could hear his heart jump when he did.

All she was thinking about was getting past the bull shit so she could leave the room and the _thump-thumping_ already. In that pause she could feel the demon start to crawl inside and the ache in her throat made her mouth start to dry out. More thumping and her thoughts were already starting to lean towards grabbing the glasses off his face, tossing them to the other side of the room, and attacking him from behind when he got up to get them. She twitched more in her seat, already feeling her muscles contract, ready to move into action. She needed to get out of there. If she left to go patrolling with Spike there would be no distracting noises or smells or humans. She needed to leave. She needed Spike. Did vampires have telepathy? She was really hoping that was the case because she was screaming in her head; _'Get me the fuck out of here! Dead watcher moments away!'_.

"It was bewildering really." Giles continued to defend himself, unaware of her thoughts, leaving her to sigh to herself. "You're never an inconvenience."

"I'm sure that's not completely true."

"Buffy." He couldn't ignore it anymore. Her attitude was definitely off. He would just outright ask her. It had worked in the past. Not always well but it worked. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Shit. That came off too vampy didn't it? What would her human self do? "Completely fine." Just keep smiling. "Normal."

"Really? You don't seem like yourself."

"Well being raised from the dead can have that effect. But really, I'm fine." How many times did she have to keep saying it?

"You look tired." He did not like that defensive attitude or the fact that she kept squirming, refusing to look at him, but he didn't really expect to get far. She would tell him what was wrong eventually.

"I sleep fine." That wasn't actually true. People kept waking her up about pancakes and leaky basements and almost killing her again by opening the blinds.

"You were dead Buffy." He frowned at the fact that that was what got her to look at him finally. She was just glaring but at least she looked at him. "It's alright to have nightmares. It's expected even."

"Well yeah there are those." Though they weren't what everyone else was expecting. "And the whole nocturnal thing. And waking up but that's just cus the last time I woke up I was trapped under six feet of dirt." She laughed but Giles didn't seem to see the humor. She had mostly gotten over it, having been woken up by people more often than by her own nightmares of darkness, but maybe she shouldn't have told him that. Damn Giles and his distracting blood. Well, at least it was touchy. Human her would be touchy. "But I'm seriously fine."

"Well you seem to be doing remarkably well."

"Yup. I am."

There was a long pause where they both stared, her at the thumping in his neck and he at her closed off posture. Each second that passed made her demon kick harder as the smell of his blood started to reach her nose sending her back to the violent imaginative thoughts. Killing him wouldn't be the worst idea. She could just say he went out for something like dinner and that he would call. That way he could just disappear and she wouldn't have to worry about him finding out what she was and ruining everything. Alone in the back room, no one would know it was her.

When he reached out to touch her, that was all she could take. One more moment and she would be doing something she would momentarily love, but later regret. "Well I better start warming up." She jumped up and started jogging in place, hoping that she wasn't trying too hard to be human."I'm patrolling tonight."

"So soon?" He looked towards the door the other kids were sitting behind, starting to wonder just how much they let things slip in his absence. Buffy shouldn't have been patrolling. They didn't even know what the cost of the spell was yet. Unless they did and it was so grave they decided not to tell him.

"I told you. I'm fine. Besides Spike goes with me. As back up."

The idea of Spike going with her was, too say the least, unsettling. "No one else?"

"They have lives Giles." She turned and started to jog for the door, willing herself not to run from the room and be obvious about needing to leave. "I don't."

Arguing could be heard from the next room as Spike and Xander quipped back and forth about nothing in particular. It sounded like Xander was warning him off patrolling with her alone and Spike was telling him to shove it. Nothing unexpected.

Anya was first to see the two exit the room and ran over to say hello. "Giles! You can't have the store back."

"I know." He smiled at her, automatically forgiving her greedy attitude.

"You signed papers and everything."

"I know."

"Hey Giles!" Xander greeted, pulling Anya away from him and giving her a scolding glance.

"So what do we have?" Giles asked, looking at the books laid out on the table. Research always meant something lurking within the town and he could use the distraction, his thoughts dancing around Buffy's worrisome demeanor.

"M'Fashnik demon." Dawn answered, obviously proud of her discovery.

"Ah."

"You've heard of it?" Tara asked, noticing the frown Giles had.

"By reputation yes."

"Well we know someone had to buy it out but where would someone get that kind of cash?" Dawn continued, bringing the book over to her again even if she knew there was nothing useful left on the page. "Demons can't be cheap."

"They're not." Spike answered for Giles, knowing full well how not-cheap they were. His running price would easily be in the quarter of a mill range. That would just be for robbing something, killing would have been a million easy.

"The real question is who would be powerful enough to control one." Giles said, walking back over to Dawn and looking over her shoulder.

Buffy, meanwhile, had enough of the gabbing group and started to walk back to the front door, calling towards Spike, "Come on Spike, let's go-", not caring to explain her leaving to anyone else. All the blood in the room was making her judgement cloudy and she had enough of the groupy-feely moments for the night.

"Um Buffy?" Giles called her back, making her spin on her heels in a huff. "I was wondering if it would be alright with you and Dawn if I spent the night at your house. Seeing as how I no longer have mine."

"Sure knock yourself out." Dawn answered for her quickly, making her glare in her direction. He asked her, not the kid sister. The last thing she needed was for the watcher to be around 24/7.

"Basement is flooded so you'll have to sleep on the couch." Buffy said, leading up to her idea of staying in a motel. He was old, couches were bad for backs or something. "You may want-"

"That will be fine, thank you." Giles ignored her and smiled at Dawn instead already making her regret her decision not to kill him when she had the chance in the back room.

"Okay." Buffy turned back around and nodded at Spike again who was obediently waiting for her to lead the way. "We're leaving."

"Wait, Buffy!" Willow called her back making her have to turn around yet again just as she reached the door. There Willow was running towards her, pouting fully, looking as lost as a puppy. God she just wanted to smack that look off her face. Get a backbone woman! "Don't you want a picture of the demon? Or know how to kill it?"

"I'm patrolling." She lowered her voice, talking to Willow like the toddler she resembled. "If I see a demon, I'll kill it. Plus I have Spike here. You know how to kill it Spike?"

"Yup."

"See? Good to go. Don't wait up!" She shouted and ran straight from the room not bothering to hang around for any more stupid questions. Spike followed giving a momentary shrug to the group and a quick wink and half smile in Dawn's direction. She waved back quick with a fake smile of her own, still very much so worried about her sister's actions.

Giles stared at the empty doorway trying to absorb the change from the closed off girl on the couch talking about how 'fine' she was to the one jumping to run away with the vampire. "Is she always-?"

"She has been since she came back." Xander answered for everyone else before Giles could find the word to describe her blatant disregard for every one of her friends.

"She's only been back a few days though." Willow defended, yet again, always feeling the need. It only got worse for her since Spike yelled at her. "Got to give her some more time. I'm sure she'll be back to her chipper self in no time."

"Yes." Giles took off his glasses, looking towards the empty door, cleaning them yet again. "Sure."

* * *

"God that was painful." Buffy complained as soon as they stepped out of the shop and started to make their way for the outskirts of town and towards the cemeteries. She really could use a good fight.

"Tried to have a heart to heart did he?"

"Was anything else expected? All I kept thinking was, _yes yes move on please_." The both chuckled for a moment, falling into step with each other, each shoving their hands into their own pockets and breathing in the night air. Finally she could clear her head. "It's horrible. Trying to be what they want me to be. I can tell they're still worried. Why do they all have to care?"

"I'd offer to take a few of them out for you, lessen the pressure, but I feel like you just might agree at this point."

"So don't tempt me then." She threw him a sinful smirk that he should have frowned at but just couldn't help the smirk that grew on his own face in return.

"Well where do you want to start today love?" He gestured towards the direction of the main cemetery calculating where would be best to work on ascertaining her skills this night. They had done some good work when battling the vamp from the night before and she was really starting to settle into the extra sensitivity but he could tell her thoughts were still centered on being murderous. It wasn't a bad thing for a vamp necessarily but it could easily get one killed if they weren't focused.

The old man was someone he wanted to kill plenty of times, especially when he was tied up living with him. He would be slower than the younger ones and, sure he'd have a few tricks up his sleeve, but Buffy was trained by him. She'd know them all. Being trapped in a conversation with him, faking smiles, all alone, she wasn't quite ready for that. She must have been having similar murder thoughts, probably almost acting out on them, that just carried over when the rest of the bunch were gathered round. The tapping of her foot was a real give away when she was waiting for everyone to stop talking so they could go patrolling. It only stopped when she gave up and took charge, leaving them all before they could stop her.

He knew he should have been more concerned about leaving her alone with him. There was always the chance that she would break her promise, not even entirely out of her own will, and eat a human. He would get her out of any trouble she got into and help her escape any attacks on her and they could run off together. Of course, he doubted that would actually happen. Buffy never really did want him and a new set of teeth wasn't going to change that. Sure, her attitude improved but that was just because he was helping her. If she really got a feel for the intoxicating life of a vampire, she wouldn't bother sticking around with him, the defanged excuse for the undead. She would never go back to being human either. At least not for a long while. Every vamp had their day though. He would just have to hold onto these nights they had together, while they still had them, and work on bringing the human her back.

Why she was listening to him and not killing anyone was still a mystery to him. If he was a newly bitten vamp he would be tearing up the town. Of course, he could tell himself it was the slayer blood keeping her in check but he knew there was more to it. It took control and while she was one hell of a powerful woman, she didn't have to listen to him and she could get away with it. There were the consequences, her friends being the main one, but she could still get around it all. Then there was the way she kept talking, making off hand comments, not wanting to tell them yet, always _not yet_...she was up to something. He knew it but a part of him needed to ignore that and hope that he found a cure for her before she did something stupid. She needed to be human again, or at least needed to try. She would understand why when the time was right.

Still. While he worked on fixing her, it didn't hurt to daydream. Him, back up to his full Big Bad self, running away with the strongest woman he's ever known made slayer-vampire. One of a kind in every way possible.

"I don't care." Her voice ripped him out of his train of thought. "Anywhere where I can get some punches in. That punching bag does not do me justice." She chuckled at the memory of Willow's face when the bag almost hit the ceiling. God she wanted to do that again. She could feel it within herself, all that power. It was being shamefully wasted.

"Whatever you say pet."

"Oh and I need money don't I?"

"I think I know about a vamps nest. They usually keep some change lying around." It wasn't quite in the original plan. He was really just going to scare up some money from a demon he played poker with who owed him big and knew how to get the money but actually having some action would be a nice change. Vampire nests usually had a good bit of money lying around. It wouldn't be enough for all the bills, he was sure, but it would get Buffy what she wanted; a fight and money. It wasn't exactly promoting her sense of goody-goody either but it wasn't like she was killing humans for money, just vamps. Plus, while he wanted her to be human, he didn't necessarily want every single little quality about her to stay the same. A little bad could go a long way. "Want to check it out?"

She gave him a wide smile and started to jog ahead of him, turning around to yell at him to catch up. "Let's go!"

He shook his head and ran to follow, ignoring all the confusing thoughts buzzing around in his head so he could enjoy what little time he had with the Buffy that actually pretended to want him around. Even if she was just using him, it was good enough for him.

* * *

When Buffy and Spike left, the group realized they had nothing left to do but go home. Everyone met at the Summers home and grabbed some soda and tea, for Giles, to catch up from the past few days. There wasn't too much to report except for Buffy so that's mostly what they talked about. Giles was filled in on her distant attitude and strange outbursts and jokes about burning down houses while Willow continued to defend her.

Eventually the night was getting late and Xander and Anya left for home leaving everyone else to get some sleep. Dawn went to set up the couch bed for Giles while Tara went to take a shower and crawl into her own as Willow went to grab a nighttime snack. Giles considered reading until Dawn and Tara went to sleep but didn't think Willow would stay up much later so he decided to confront her while he still had the chance, following her into the kitchen.

"Hey Giles." Willow smiled at him as she grabbed a box of cereal and sat down at the table. "You have a good talk with Buffy?" He hadn't brought it up in their recap and she really wanted to know how she was doing.

"Yes, no she's fine." Giles nodded trying to word in his head what he wanted to say. What he really wanted to do was scream but that would accomplish nothing.

"Isn't it awesome?" Willow asked excitedly, feeling relieved that they had passed all of the bad stuff about Buffy and someone new would actually help her focus in on the good.

"Hmm." Giles turned from the naïve behavior and tried to calm himself, needing to know what he was dealing with. "Tell me about the spell you preformed."

"Oh okay." Willow started, finally able to tell someone the entire truth who would be proud of her instead of worried. "First of all so scary. Like-uh- the Blair witch would have had to watch like this." She covered her eyes as she did when she watched the _Blair Witch Project_ herself. "A- an- and this giant snake came out of my mouth and there was all this energy crackling and this pack of demons interrupted but I totally kept it together and then next thing you know, Buffy."

He couldn't contain the anger within him any longer. She sounded so proud of what she did. She didn't even understand the consequences. "You're a very stupid girl."

"What?" She stopped reaching for bits of cereal from the box, completely caught off guard by his tone. "Giles?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done? The forces you've harnessed, the lines you've crossed."

"I-I thought you'd be impressed or something."

"Don't worry you've… made a very deep impression." He shook his head and leaned up against the counter, hoping beyond hope he could actually reach this girl. "Of everyone here….you were the one I trusted most to respect the forces of nature."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?"

"Think what you've done to Buffy."

"I brought her back."

"At incredible risk!"

"Risk? Of what? Making her deader?"

"Killing us all. Unleashing Hell on earth. Shall I go on?"

"No. Giles I did what I had to do. I did what nobody else could do."

"Oh there are others in this world that can do what you did. You just don't want to meet them."

"No probably not but well-they're the bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. I brought Buffy back into this world. A-And maybe the word you should be looking for is congratulations."

He shook his head again both at her and himself. Leaving a teenage girl in charge? What was he thinking? "Having Buffy back in this world makes me feel indescribably wonderful. But I wouldn't congratulate you if you jumped off a cliff and happened to survive."

"That's not what I did Giles."

"You were lucky."

"I wasn't lucky. I was amazing." She was pretty sick of everyone giving her the same attitude. She knew what she was doing, why did they all act like she was lost? She did what she did on purpose! Buffy was fine! "And how would you know? You weren't even there."

"If I had been I'd've bloody well stopped you." He tried to stop himself from yelling, knowing the other girls could probably hear him, but he couldn't stop the words escaping from his mouth. "The magics you channeled are more ferocious and primal than anything you could hope to understand and you are lucky to be alive. You rank, arrogant, amateur."

"You're right." She leapt from the bar stool and walked over in front of him feeling the energy within her crackle as her emotions ran hotter. "The magics I used are very powerful. I'm very powerful. And maybe it's not such a good idea to piss me off." After a moment of tense staring Willow had to shake her head and calm herself down. Giles just didn't understand yet. He'd only just seen Buffy. He was worried over nothing. In time he would see how normal she was. "Come on Giles, I don't want to fight. Let's not okay? I'll think about what you said and you try to be happy Buffy's back."

"We still don't know where she was. Or what happened to her. And I'm far from convinced she's come out of all this undamaged. "

They went their separate ways, each feeling the after effects of the fight, hearts pounding and magic tingling. Giles should have learned to trust that gut instinct he had. The one that said Buffy was far from undamaged or that something terrible had happened to her. He would latter come to regret letting the young witch's words cloud his judgment.


	6. Get This Party Started

Finding the vampire nest was pretty easy….after a bit that was. Spike wanted Buffy to find it on her own using only her sense of smell and it took a few tries including one stray dog and two different types of demons, neither of which were the ones that robbed the bank. She wanted to fight them but Spike made her stop straying and get back to the path where their real goal awaited.

There it was. An abandoned home with the for sale sign kicked to the ground. It didn't look that special but lights were coming from the basement along with the sounds of a full blown party. Spike was first to check the place out, if only to make sure they didn't have any dead humans to tempt Buffy with. There were about seven vamps down there, drinking and smoking, one a bit too sloshed to do much else but slump down into the couch while his girlfriend made out with his neck.

One nod from Spike and Buffy went running over, allowing her vampire features to shine through as he did the same with his. It was actually the first time she had seen his demon out in the open since she returned. He had kept his human face on even through all the fighting he coached her through. It looked different than before. It was the same scrunched up, fangy, golden-eyed face but there was something added to it. She wasn't thinking of it like that grotesque Neanderthal expression she had become accustomed to. The moonlight sparkled off his sharpened teeth and there was an extra glint in his eyes all completing the powerful expression he wore. Even with a scrunched face he was still chiseled and sexy. She would never tell him that though. Never. Though she did start to wonder what she looked like to him.

"I count seven." Spike gestured into the basement window and turned to the vamp beside him. "You up for it?"

"I call little miss necking."

"Necking?"

"It means making out. My mom- oh never mind. Let's just go kill these suckers."

"Lead the way slayer." Spike gestured towards the front door and smiled at Buffy's backside, sneaking a peak of her leather pants clad ass. She really needed to wear those more often.

Buffy entered the house with a new sense of anticipation. In the back of her mind she knew her throat was starting to ache from not drinking blood in a while and a headache would follow but she didn't care. Somewhere deep within her a fire was starting to burn and it just kept growing with every step towards the basement door as she closed in towards the noises and smells of alcohol.

That burn was feeding her, her senses zooming in on her prey and her muscles tensing, ready to strike at a moment's notice. She always had a sense of power as the slayer but it was boosted beyond belief with her undead abilities. She felt Spike behind her and the air around them seemed to crackle with their growing need to hunt their pray.

For the first time since her rise from the grave she forgot all about her revenge plans or Spike's misguided ideas or her charade or what everyone else was thinking. All she could feel was Spike and her, nearing their kill, clicking into their places in the world. She felt fitted into the puzzle that was her life as she moved around the final hall and pulled the door open. This was what she was meant to do. This was who she was meant to be. This was her purpose.

Everyone stopped partying as soon as they saw both Buffy and Spike at the bottom of their steps. They all turned, except for the drunk on the chair, and stared, waiting for their leader to tell them what to do.

"What are you doing here?" A well-built, good looking male vampire asked from across the room, walking closer with an air of dominance.

Leader, leader, I pick you to come over.

"What? Not enough to share?" Buffy asked with a fake smile, already enjoying herself, as Spike walked around and pulled a random rum bottle from a table and took a swig.

"Don't touch that!" The leader vamp yelled, but Spike only chuckled, tossing the bottle over to Buffy who caught it with ease and took a gulp herself relishing in the burn it caused her throat. It was so much more satisfying than the one she got from blood lust and this one even gave her a bit of a thrill.

"Oh no Spike. I don't think they want to play." Buffy fake pouted as she took another swig and laughed into the bottle at how pissed off the other vamp was getting before she tossed the rum back over to her partner in crime.

"Look, I don't know who you are but you need to leave."

"But we just got here!" Buffy laughed as she slumped herself down onto a couch in the middle of the room right in between two other members of the nest.

"You!" The more than lost leader vamp turned to Spike with a shout and pointed at Buffy on his couch. "Control your woman and then get both of your asses out of here!"

Buffy snapped her neck as she sent this pompous misogynistic asshole the meanest glare she could muster up. Spike's eyes grew two sizes bigger as he held up his hands in mock surrender hoping Buffy wouldn't eat him for that comment. "Whoa. You've done it now mate."

"Spike-" Buffy called him back, "-on second thought, I want him." She lifted herself off the couch, pointing towards the asshole who was now starting to get the idea that he did indeed make a grave mistake and that he needed to back off. Everyone else in the room was either too drunk to understand or cowering in the corner. God did she love that.

"Have both if you want slayer." Spike answered her, falling into place by her side, glancing around to make sure all other vamps knew to stay where they were.

"Slayer?" The idiotic leader looked back at Buffy completely confused. "But you're-"

"A vampire? I know. Long story. Short version? I don't like you."

With vampiric-slayer speed she ascended on him until he was forcibly backed up against the staircase, making the panic in his voice start to climb. "Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait-" He held out his hands, trying to get her to stop, looking at Spike to confirm what he was hearing. "A slayer who's a vampire? I didn't- I- I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Groveling like the mongrel he was. "We'll leave town, we'll- we'll-. . . You can- you can lead us. Take my place! You can take over the pack, use us to kill other demons or people or whatever. Just please, don't kill us!"

Was that what this was? A pack? What did that make her? A lone wolf? Lone wolves didn't have companions like Spike. Maybe she wasn't a lone wolf. Maybe she was a lost wolf in need of a pack. Maybe she was the alpha in need of followers to listen to her every command. Maybe that's why the hunt with Spike felt so right and that was why she could feel his every move along with hers.

"Nah. I think I'll kill you." She chuckled and dipped into her back pocket where, quick as a flash, she ripped out her stake (Mr. Pointy 2.0) and stabbed it directly into the vamps chest making him burst into ash within seconds, not even long enough for a scream, though someone did scream.

It was one of his 'pack' members, a man in the corner, who yelped and when Buffy went to turn to him he started stuttering himself, begging for his unlife. "N-n-no. Please. You're one of us!"

"And yet….I just don't care." One punch had him sprawled against the wall and Mr. Pointy 2.0 did the rest. "Alright, what do you say we get this party really started?" She turned to the room and as soon as she did everyone was running for the door. It seemed they were all lost without someone to tell them what to do. It made her smile.

Spike jumped into action instantly, blocking off the only exit and punching those who tried to get past him back down the stairs. Buffy grabbed the girl who had been necking and started tossing her around the room. She put up a strong fight, thinking Buffy was going to kill her passed out boy toy, and fought right back, throwing in a good couple of punches herself. Spike took on the other three that were up by the door and had ripped out a piece of the wooden stairs to dispatch each of them one by one.

After the third punch the girl got in, Buffy was quite finished with her. She flipped the bitch over the couch in the middle of the room and jumped above her, standing over her body and landing a few punches to the side of her skull. The girl beneath her managed to wiggle her legs free and kick Buffy back against the wall, trying to run after her. Buffy was quick though and pushed the girl back all while fishing for the wooden stake that dropped to the ground. The girl vamp knew what was coming and jumped for the stake herself making Buffy round her leg back and slam it as hard as she could into the girl vamp's stomach. In an all-powerful kick the girl flew through the air and straight into the concrete ceiling above. On the way down Buffy grabbed her stake and held it between her and the flying vamp's landing zone, making it drive through her body on impact, and turn her to dust before she even hit the floor.

Knowing boy toy vamp was passed out in the chair she ran towards Spike and ripped off one of the two left fighting. He had killed one sometime during her scuffle with little miss necking. Well, formally known.

"Oh come on! You already got to kill three!" Spike yelled as he tackled the male down the stairs and landed on his body with a bone breaking crack rounding his fist into the vampire's face before being slammed off his body.

"Well then catch up!" Buffy yelled back deciding to give the killing a break in favor of throwing a few punches instead. She couldn't help but notice a few moves were added to her already stocked knowledge as a slayer. It was really, really true. Vamps did come out of the ground with some kicking mojo already embedded.

Spike tumbled around on the floor, loving the thrill of fighting with a vampire by his side and also on his side. The demon world frowned pretty outwardly at him for fighting his own kind and now he finally had someone to do it with. With a smile he kicked the male vamp off his body and directly into Buffy's path.

They fought some more, tossing vamp with vamp at times for the fun of it, and broke everything in their path along the way. Spike got his final kill in by kicking in a wooden table and slamming the leg into the oncoming vamp's chest while Buffy spun her opponent into the same shot, resulting in the same death.

Both vampire-vampire-killers looked at each other and started chuckling at the adrenaline that was still coursing through their systems leaving them with the high of the fight. It was only after a second look that they saw the other vamp, miraculously untouched, was still slumped in the chair.

"Seems kind of pitiful to just stab him." Spike said, gesturing towards the vamp while rummaging around for cash.

Buffy nodded and looked with him, finding wads of miscellaneous bills tossed into the dryer as a hiding spot. They both laughed some more as they tucked the bills into whatever pockets they had, Buffy shoving a bunch into her bra as girl pants were not that favorable when it came to pocket room.

"So what do you want to do with him?" Spike nodded in the chairs direction before finishing off the cash and starting to head for the door.

"I got an idea." Buffy smiled and reached into Spike's front pocket, pushing paper bills out of her way.

"Whoa pet. I think I like this idea." She rolled her eyes at him and finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out the small silver lighter and picked up a vodka bottle, dumping it all along the floor and the vamp in the chair letting the fumes burn their noses. She smashed the empty bottle on the ground before ripping a piece of the couch's fabric off and grabbing a random bottle.

"Hey-hey now. Not the rum." Spike grabbed the bottle from her hands and she rolled her eyes again, picking up another. She dunked it in the alcohol and started to run for the stairs, Spike following. With a mischievous grin shared between the two she lit the end of the fabric and threw it down the stairs, running with Spike for the front door. They both heard the flames start up and the heat soon follow as they ran into the cool night and watched as the last of their problems disappear.

When safety out of range they tossed themselves onto the grass and onto their back both chuckling up at the sky and staring at the flames and smoke licking the sky, the sirens following soon after. Buffy couldn't believe how much fun that was. She wanted to find a vampire nest every night if it meant she got to feel that high again. Fuck everyone else, she'd run away from home if she had to. Screw her plans if it meant she got to live her life like that. But that was just it. Her plans were made so she would live her life like that. Running away wouldn't get the humans off her back.

Spike chucked with Buffy, choosing to ignore what part of him was worried that she just lit a sleeping vamp on fire with no warning or regret. Nothing felt as right to him as fighting did and getting to do it with Buffy again just…nothing could compare. He turned to her, her face sinking back into human form and his following, "That was-"

"Yeah," she laughed back. "We should do that again some time."

"It's a date." She looked back over at him but instead of a slap, like expected, he was greeted by a small smile. He was about to say something else that could really earn him a slap when Buffy reached up to push away the hair that clung to her face. "Buffy-"

"What?"

"Your hand."

"What about it?"

"There's blood."

"Oh." She looked down and saw what he saw. She wasn't hurt but her knuckles were covered in the red liquid and the smell started to call her. This wasn't some gross blood of a cold pig. This was human blood drank by vampire, but still human. Her eyes didn't move from her knuckles as the burn started to grow and her demon started to take over. It just smelled so...good.

"Buffy!" Spike grabbed her wrist before she could finish bringing her hand up to her lips. She glared at him, a spark of yellow flashing through her eyes, but he shook he head and held her down tighter. "No."

"It's not even a real human Spike."

"It doesn't matter. You won't be able to control yourself."

"So what?"

"So what? So you'll destroy half the town to get another taste."

"And I said so what."

"And I said no!" Spike jumped forward and pulled her hand at the same time making her fist collide with his shirt, rubbing the blood over his chest. She fought back hard but he had her tackled beneath him and there was little to nothing she could do without every drop of blood being wiped on him.

"Get off me!" She kicked him hard and he fell to the side, stuck under her body in return. She turned to her hands but nothing was left. It was all on his shirt. She reached down with her mouth and picked up the loose fabric between her lips, closing her tongue around the cotton, just as he pushed her back onto the ground, rolling her to her back.

"You don't want to do this Buffy!" Spike pleaded, trying to overpower the much more powerful vamp beneath him. There would be no stopping her if she succeeded.

"Yes I do!" She tried pushing him back again but both had to stop at the distinctive and obnoxious sound of a ringtone.

They both looked at the phone in the grass and back at each other, sizing up who would give in first. Buffy couldn't see the phone from her position so she thought she would try to distract Spike with a relevant question. "Who is it?"

"It's Dawn." Spike said, not letting up on Buffy's arms or legs, really trying to ignore any sexual thoughts popping up into his mind. He couldn't help it when they weren't throwing punches and he had her pinned like that. If he could only round his hips he could probably have her begging for it.

Buffy groaned, "Why is she calling so late?"

"Better answer." Spike nudged her and she glared up at him. Slowly, phone still ringing, he picked himself up off her body and held himself a distance away, ready to defend her from trying to suckle the stains on his shirt.

Disdainfully she picked up the phone and hit the answer button. "Hello?"

"Buffy?!" Dawn's worried voice came screaming through the phone, sounds of crashes coming through the background. "Are you almost home?"

"Just about." She was about a two minute run from the house, if she ran fast. "Why?"

"The demon. M'F-M-M It's in the house!" Dawn screamed a painfully high pitched resulting in Buffy having to hold the phone away as yet another crash and more screams came through the speaker.

"On my way." Buffy slammed the phone down and started to roll back to her knees, making sure all the money was safely secure and picking up any bills that fell from her pocket in her struggle with Spike.

"The M'Fashnik?" Spike asked, already having a good idea from what he could hear, as he followed Buffy covering his arms over his chest.

"Yeah. Do I really have to save them?"

"Yes." He lifted her the rest of the way off the ground and pushed her forward towards the house. "Now come on."

"Yeah, yeah I know." She started running and he easily kept pace besides her. "Besides, Dawn's in there."

"You care about Dawn?"

"Well I don't not care." It was true that she didn't particularly like Dawn screaming at her for help but she still felt a need to do something. It could have been that it was because she wasn't the one causing the screaming but it seemed deeper than that. Dawn was human but their sister bond still made her want to kill her less than anyone else. Especially when she wasn't there pumping her blood in front of her. Dawn was a pain in the ass but she was her pain in the ass. "Not like I used to though. Plus my sire is in there. Hate to know what happens if she dies." That was said with utter sarcasm. "Maybe a bit curious though."

"Come on slayer." Spike chuckled and picked up the pace wanting to get to Dawn as quick as he could. He was very relieved to hear that Buffy wanted to save her, or at least not let her be dead. He would take anything she could give him at the moment. The fun they had killing the vampires added on with the fact that she was running home to save her sister….maybe he was overreacting a bit. She wanted the blood on his shirt but she was a new vamp. Maybe he was over worried. This wasn't turning out to be such a bad thing.

* * *

Buffy ran through the shattered remains of her front door expecting to see someone dead on the floor based off what the house looked like. "This place is a mess! How the hell am I expected to pay for all this?" There wasn't nearly enough money in her bra for this! "How'd this even happen?!"

"Slayer." A voice she never heard before came from the doorway to the dining room and she saw it; the M'Fashnik demon.

"Oh hot damn." He was an ugly thing with scaly skin and rows of fangs, a cheap copy of Spike's wardrobe added to that. He was big though. Really big. He was a hired gun the muscles had to of been expected. And apparently that gun was now pointed at her. "That's how."

The demon ran forward without another word and they started to fight her in the house. He slammed her down on surprise attack but she had the strength and energy, even after the fights from earlier, and she managed to kick him back off her body and towards the other side of the living room. She could see the mess did not stop there, probably due to the inadequate humans residing in the house. Really she was shocked they weren't dead but she smelled no blood. Other than the remains on Spike's shirt.

Spike started to run up and pulled the demon off another attack by kicking it back into another wall, the screams of the humans in the house sounding out.

"Not the furniture!" Dawn yelled from the top of the stairs as the desk broke at its hinges.

"Buffy!" Both Giles and Willow yelled from in front of Dawn, each with weapons in their hands. Like they would do any good.

Buffy ran forward and grabbed the demon by his lapels and chucked him into the kitchen, aiming towards the kitchen knives. Spike ran around the other side and they had a bit of back and forth with each other, hit for hit, pushing the demon between them.

The demon caught on to a part of the table though and managed to kick Buffy down hard before spinning a punch towards Spike. The smell of the humans and their adrenaline scented blood started to fill her head as she saw them lingering around the living room.

"Can we do anything to help Buffy?" Willow asked as the demon came back for Buffy yet again.

"Yeah. Go the fuck away!" She kicked up from the ground and landed a good kick on the demon's chest, sending it to the floor on its back. She straddled it and started punching it on the side of the head, over and over, hoping to bash in its brains. Small crunches could be heard from the scales but his bones were strong.

The demon gave a big growl before shaking its head and sneering at the girl above him; "Vampire?"

Buffy stopped her punches for a moment and focused on her face. _Shit!_ Shit, shit, shit. She quickly slunk back down into her human form and started punching again, lifting herself up with the table and wall and kicking her foot out against its face. She gave Spike a worried glance who took the demon from behind, picked it up, and smashed it towards the basement door. Buffy opened the door and the demon went tumbling down the stairs.

"What did it say?" Willow asked from her cowering place near the back door. This didn't seem like a fight Buffy wanted to be interrupted in.

"Um…" Buffy stumbled for an answer but Spike saved her before she could say anything stupid.

"Me. Vampire." Spike said, showing off his fangs and lifting his hands into fake claws. She didn't even notice he vamped out too. "Vampire working with the slayer. He was confused. It's a demon thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Okay, cus I thought-" Willow was cut off as the demon stuck in the basement growled audibly from behind the door.

"Sorry, that's me." Buffy smiled and opened the door, jumping down to meet her demon attacker. She managed to tackle him but was promptly met with a good foot of water riding up to her knees. The demon managed to land a few punches of his own, resulting in minor headaches and damp clothes for her before she used the foundation pillar like a stripper pole and swung around it, kicking him in the back and sending him face first into the water.

She dumped her body onto his back and held his face under by the spikes jutting out from the top of his head. Then she remembered these demons were hired. Someone sent it after her specifically. She needed to find out who. She lifted his head above the water and asked him, "Who do you work for?"

The demon didn't answer so she sent him under the water again, waiting for the thrashing to become so frantic she knew she could try again. "Who do you work for?!" Yet again the demon didn't cooperate and she dunked him under the foul smelling water. More thrashing resulted in her clothes and money getting even more soaked before she took a breath and pulled him up again. "Who do you work for?" He just growled and she started to lose her temper, holding him under a bit longer than she should have, bubbles popping like crazy, and when she pulled his head out again, he was gone. Well, so much for that.

She dropped his body and stood up, trying to shake the excess water off her face and make sure a ton of money didn't get lost in the process of the fight. It seemed her bra lived up to the money she paid for it. Every bill was in its place.

"Did you know your basement is flooded?" Spike asked from the top of the stairs in a mocking tone, knowing Buffy told him about the re-piping and obviously able to see it.

"Shut up and help me!" She growled, not really in the mood for games. This wasn't nearly as fun as the vamp fight for some reason and now she needed to move the fully heavy, not ash body.

"No way love." He stepped up a few more steps as if that would prevent her from dragging him down. "This is real leather-" He held out a part of his duster and she scoffed, pointing to her pants. "I'm not jumping into any pools."

"I will make you." She walked into his line of view with her hands on her hips only earning her a sarcastic grin from him.

"Oh just try pet. Love to see it."


	7. God It's Saturday

"Buffy."

" _What is it Dawn?_ " Buffy rolled over onto her back with her hands covering her face as she snapped at her little sister. When was she going to learn not to wake her up till the sun was nearing the horizon? She had just saved everyone from the mean little (not really little) demon the night before. Didn't that earn her some R&R?

"Xander and Anya are here to help with the damages from the demon fight last night." Dawn leaned further into the door, knowing better than to go and try and open the curtains again. "We thought you might want to get up and see what you have to deal with."

"Won't they be here in the afternoon? Can't I talk to them then?"

"Oh. Okay." Buffy could hear the huge breath Dawn took in exasperation. "I guess so." She couldn't help but feel like Buffy before death would have run to see her friends at any moment, no matter how long they would be around for. Especially right after an attack. "But aren't you, I don't know, worried or something?"

"Worried?"

"Yeah I mean, the demon was asking for you, it knew where you lived. Where we lived. Don't you want to get all sloothy?" She asked, more hopeful than she was expecting. "Research?  Sherlock Holmes like? Investigate?"

"I can investigate at a decent hour." Buffy flipped back over, her back facing Dawn and her head in its place against the pillow. "The furniture will still be broken then."

"Okay. I'll tell them you're sleeping. I just…Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Dawn." Buffy sighed to herself wishing the blood would leave the room. Dawn felt extra pain in the ass this morning. She already woke up with a headache, she didn't need to add to it. It just seemed to get worse with every passing second. "Just nocturnal. Fights keep happening in the night, I sleep during day. It's fine."

"Alright." Dawn backed off and shut the door behind her, shaking her head and going to help with the cleanup, already knowing just what kind of looks she would be getting when she told them Buffy was too tired to help.

* * *

It was hours later when Dawn was forced to knock on Buffy's door yet again, just to be ignored, yet again. This couldn't wait though. "Buffy?"

"What?!"

"Phone." Dawn walked in timidly, the phone held out away from her body like a tiny little shield.

"God it's Saturday. Don't people sleep in on Saturdays?" Buffy turned to look at the phone, her headache already worse than it was that morning, wondering how someone knew to call her. All people who would call her were already in the house. "Who is it?"

"Um…just answer it."

It took a growl and all her will power not to scream at her annoying brat of a sister and instead reach out for the phone and bring it to her ear. "Okay. Here. Hello?"

"Buffy?"

"Angel?" Oh no. That was the last thing she needed. She completely forgot about him. She shooed Dawn out the door, getting up quicker than she ever expected to get her out of the room, the ache in her head creeping down her neck and shoulders.

"Oh my god." Angel breathed into the phone, shaken at hearing the voice of the girl he loved for so long. The voice he swore he would never hear again belonging to the slayer he would never see again. "Buffy. You're really- you're- I need to see you."

"Angel." Buffy gritted her teeth and sunk back into the bed. "Hi. Yeah. Um- what?"

"I need to see you." Angel repeated already planning the trip in his head. The gang could cover for him in LA, he would only be gone for a day or two. That would be all he would need, he was sure. Just a couple of days, it was nothing compared to his leaving for months like he did when she died. Well, sort of died. "I just can't believe you're back. I need to see you."

"Okay." _Not good, not good, not good!_ Angel would definitely be able to tell in a heartbeat (or something along those lines) that she was not human, that she was vampire. He would get over his shock in the drive over and poof, no more revenge for her. Worse, he would think he would be doing the 'right thing' and go behind her back and tell all the humans. She couldn't trust him. "Okay." Spike was good to her in that way. He saw her as a grown woman who could make her own decisions. Angel was never like that. It was always about doing things his way. "Yeah I get it." She paused to buy herself more time as she thought of a way to get Angel to stay in LA for as long as possible. She was too concentrated on Sunnydale to worry about everything else just yet. She wasn't done planning! She really needed to move things along. "Um…." There had to be something. They hadn't seen each other in such a long time before she died, there was a reason she didn't call him to the fight she died in. Maybe she could roll with that. "But didn't we agree we would keep our distance?"

"This is different Buffy. You're back from the dead. I'm not going to not see you. I'll drive to Sunnydale if I have to."

"No!" She snapped, already biting the inside of her cheek at her stupidity. "No. I mean- yeah I'll see you. Not here. Not in LA either. And not right away." God she needed to make plans fast. "Sorry it's just a bunch of stuff is going on that I really need to take care of. Bills and stuff-"

"Yeah." Angel breathed out in relief with her agreement. "Of course. When?"

"I'll call you." She sounded like some one-night-stand floosy picked up from a bar. She needed to sound more convincing, more love-struck or something. Her human self was always pathetic with him. I love you Angel, I hate you Angel, I love you but I killed you, I hate you because you're Angelus, I love you because you care, I hate you because you didn't stay. . . Pathetic. "Soon. I promise."

"Okay. It's just so-"

"I know. Don't worry. I'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye Angel."

"Bye Buffy."

 _Ugh!_ She flopped onto her back and rolled over onto her side, ready to tear the bed apart if she had to. At least she got the pathetic sounding part down. It was bad enough that she had to work on a way to get Spike on her side, now Angel? And the two of them….they would be impossible. They would find a way to work together too if Angel found out Spike wanted her human. They would team up and she really would be stuck. She needed to find a way to change Spike's mind before Angel came crashing into her plans.

If only she didn't have this splitting headache that only seemed to be getting worse then maybe she could think of a way to fix the Spike problem. He would have loved her vampire self, hell he even showed signs of it now, before she died. What changed his mind? He hung around the humans more.  Dawn, he was like an older brother to her. Dawn's opinion mattered but he had to know she was a young girl who could be swayed by her big sister and vampire babysitter. The gang still treated him like crap so he was outcast. That made him fairly alone but he was always alone. Actually that wasn't true. He had Dru and then Harmony and he courted her for a long time. Why her though? She was some weak, if not stronger than the rest, human who rejected him over and over. Something had to wiggle its way into his head to make his aversion to humans change.

Oh god. She was an idiot.

Spike was declawed and that changed everything about him. He hated it, everyone knew that, but it did. It eventually grew with him and that chip changed who he was forever. He lost his life as the Big Bad vampire, William the Bloody, feared by all, killer of two slayers. He was stuck somewhere between vampire and human so of course his views were skewed. She just needed to put them back into the right order. That meant getting his chip out.

She rolled back over again and reached for her desk drawer, opening the bottom one and pulling out her address book. She flipped through it knowing she wrote the number in the back somewhere, as a just in case. She found what she was looking for and flipped the phone in her hands to dial the number.

"The number you have reached is no longer-"

"Shit." She hung up the cell number she dialed and flipped through the pages again. "Other number it is."

"Hello Umber Flower Shop." A man's voice on the other end of the line answered.

"Hi." Buffy replied a bit stupidly, wondering why the hell she was given a flower shop's number. "Is Agent Finn there?"

"Excuse me? Agent Finn?"

"Yes. Agent Finn. Riley." She really hoped this wasn't some huge joke on her ex's behalf. "Tell him we're having a problem with Spike's chip."

"Did you say...his- um...His dick?"

She burst out laughing at the look Spike would have on his face at hearing that, unable to control her cackles.  The man on the line stayed silent as she caught her breath and answered, "No his chip."

"Who's chip?"

"Spike." She reached a hand up and ran it over her forehead wishing that ache would stop traveling through her body.

"So tell Finn Riley that Spike's chip has a problem?"

"Finn." She over articulated, fed up with the moron on the other end. "Finn is his last name."

"So Riley Finn."

"Yeah."

"Not sure he works here anymore…."

Buffy growled into the phone reminding herself that death threats wouldn't matter because she didn't actually know where to find this shop and she was sure it wouldn't be open past sunset. "Well did he used to work there and get transferred?"

"Well no one's worked at the shop but me for a long while."

"Wait is this actually a flower shop? Or one of those things where I'm supposed to play along to show that I know it's really secret ops? "

"Secret ops?"

"That bastard better not have given me a bad number." She growled again, her headache only getting worse, as she pictured Riley's big old stupid face being bashed into the wall a few times. She really did favor that daydream.  "Well if you are done pretending to be brain dead or some guy named Finn comes in to buy flowers-"

"I'll give him your message."

"Yeah. Whatever." She slammed the end button on the phone and tossed it across the room, sure not to whip it like she wanted to. A broken phone would be a bit hard to explain, especially after Dawn knew Angel was the one who called. "Plan B works too. After sleep." She jumped back under the covers and gingerly laid her head back down, willing the burn in her throat to be gone by the time she woke up.

Sleep did not help.

It only made it worse.

As soon as her eyes lifted open she started to curl up in a ball and tear at the sheets in her pain. She quickly darted her watering eyes around the room to see where the pain was coming from but it had no source outside her body. All blinds were closed and it was even cloudy out, no sun hitting her whatsoever. Then why was she feel like she was on fire?

She rolled over to her side and looked her body over all while trying to catch her unnecessary breath in short pants. The pain was better if she breathed like that. Better but still completely blistering. Yet there wasn't a scratch on her.

Curling up into a ball again she smashed her feet together and tried to make herself as small as possible, blocking out everything around her. Even closing her eyes, the dark room wasn't dark enough and there was an ache surrounding her temple. Sounds kept screaming in her ear, so much louder than they had been before. There was _thumping_ and dripping so loud it sounded like someone was holding a hose next to her ear. Her nose was burning but that was nothing compared to the burn in her throat. A dry ache pulled her attention with every move and she felt like she would start bleeding in her windpipe if she kept it up. Her tongue lashed out against the air without any pleasure, only bringing the tastes of the burning she felt. She groaned and pulled herself harder together as the ache spread through her making her feel like she had a horrible fever rampaging her body. Her temple was pulsing with no heartbeat and it felt like her mind was expanding past her skull, pushing out on the bones like shards in her head.

This wasn't right. What was happening?

The prickling behind her eyes grew more as she tried to close them, close it all out, just go back to sleep till someone found her. But no one would understand. Not any of the humans. She didn't need them. She needed Spike.

She took in a breath and reached out for her bedside table, pulling out her cell and calling his number. The phone rang and rang, more volume added to her ears, but no one was answering. She laid the phone down by her on the pillow, the rest of her body curling up except for the hand kept near the call button. It just kept ringing until voicemail so she hung up and called again. "Spike, Spike, pick up your damn phone." She couldn't yell, it hurt too much to yell. She just rocked herself back and forth and pleaded to the empty room. "Please. Please. God it hurts. It hurts so bad. It's so much worse. Why is it so much worse?" She had to call again and again. "I can't….oh god please just pick up. Spike. Please. Spike please."

"What is it?" Spike snapped and she almost laughed in relief but tears fell instead. "I'm in the middle of something here."

"Please Spike – Spike please it just…. oh god it hurts." She sobbed, losing any control she had over herself. "It hurts so much worse…my head…please."

"Oh no." Spike gasped, running over the night in his head again. She didn't drink any human blood, she wasn't going through withdrawal. Was she? This was blood deprivation at its best, or so it sounded, but she had blood…didn't she? "Did you drink the blood I gave you last night?"

"Left it at the shop." Buffy cried out, bringing her hand back down to hug her aching body closer.

"Fuck." Spike breathed, readying himself to run over to her. This wasn't going to end well.

"Why? Why does it hurt so much worse?"

He tried to sound comforting but his nerves had him on edge as he checked to make sure the sun was hidden behind clouds. "You went out fighting last night. Plus the fight at your house. You used up the blood you had. Your slayer blood must be gone."

"Just make it stop." She went back to rocking her body, finding the constant motion bringing her some ease. "Please make it stop. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop."

"I'll be right over." He was already out the door, blood in his pockets. Human's blood would be a fix all for her but he couldn't do that. Not after he had tried so hard to keep her clean. Just a little longer she would have to wait. Pig's blood would work. Eventually. "Five minutes tops. Just stay right there. And Buffy…don't leave your room."

Buffy nodded to the phone as the line went dead and she was left to cry to herself hoping that none of the humans, if there were any in the house, would come to check on her. She didn't dare check as all the pain only seemed to get worse as she tried.

Spike ran the entire way to Buffy's home, ignoring any and all odd looks he got, until he smashed through the back door, ready to bolt up the stairs. This couldn't wait to heat up in the microwave. In the state she was in, she would eat anyone within jumping distance.

"Spike?  What are you doing here?" Giles asked as he popped back up from the fridge after obtaining a cool water bottle.

"What are you doing here?" Spike countered stupidly, really just buying time to come up with an explanation. If Giles went to see Buffy, he would certainly be dead. He just had to keep him away. He listened and noticed no one else was home. That was at least good.

"Just got in from a walk." Giles knew something was up with the way Spike was shifting but there was no telling what it was this time.

"Right." Spike nodded, inching his way to the stairs. "You should go walking again."

"And why would I do that?"

"Well just…don't come upstairs." Alright, that was lame but he didn't have anything better. Giles was left staring with his mouth open.

"What on earth…?"

Spike ran before he could listen to whatever scolding the old man had this time and jumped to Buffy's door, not even bothering with knocking. "Buffy? Oh no." She was curled into her own body, her vampire features twisted in pain, her fingers clawing at her hair.

"I can smell him." Buffy growled at the burst of air that flew to her nose from the door. She knew it was Spike, she could feel that, but she also knew Giles was home. She knew the instant he walked through the door. The pain had her out of it but as soon as the human walked in, she was gone and the vampire took over. "I can smell the blood." That blood _thumping_ and _thumping_ away. Every pulse matching the one forming in her skull. She had to get rid of the pain. She had to drink it away. She knew. It was the answer. It was instinct. Primal instinct, and it was right. It was the only thing that was right. "Just let me –"

"Oh no." Spike breathed out again, knowing exactly what that look meant. Buffy started to scramble for the door, jumping off the bed. "No!" He grabbed her and pinned her back down, sitting on her body. "Buffy!"

"Get off me!" She pushed up with as much might as she could muster but her senses were scrambled. She could smell the pig's blood in his pockets and it both disgusted and called her. Then there was Spike overwhelming her, flashing in front of her eyes, and making her even more confused with his own smells. "Get off me now! Let me have him!"

"No!" He scrambled with her hands for a few moments before managing to pin her wrists above her body and digging the pig's blood out from his pocket. "Drink this. Here drink this."

"No!" She started slapping him away, getting one good punch into his side, and he had to put the blood down on the nightstand in order to get her to stay down. Even frantic, she could land a really good kidney blow. "I will not!"

"Buffy?" They both froze, Buffy's eyes snapping to the door. Giles called out again. "Is everything alright in there?"

"No Buffy stay." Spike growled low at her as she continued to struggle harder beneath him grazing her body against his thighs as she continued to try to worm her way out.

"Get off me. Just let me kill him." She reached out to Spike and held onto the top of his hands as he grabbed her wrists, begging him to let her up as she stopped thrashing. "Please it hurts so much. Just him. I promise, no other humans. Not yet. Just let me kill him. Please Spike. Make it stop."

"This will make it stop." He reached for the blood again but she snapped her hand free and slapped it away from him screaming, "No!", making the bottle fly across the room and smash against the wall, the blood flying, dripping, and seeping into the carpet below.

"No." Spike growled back, grabbing her with both arms again.

"Buffy? I'm coming in." Giles wiggled the locked door and Buffy continued to thrash harder.

"No!" Spike yelled to the door, really running out of options as Buffy's strength didn't let up. Desperation could provide great abilities. "Stay out there!"

"Giles, everything is fine." Buffy called out in a fake cheery tone while she continued to struggle. Giles would believe her. He had to. He had to come in. "You can come in."

"No!" Spike yelled again, moving a hand to cover Buffy's fanged mouth. "Gramps stay out there!" She snapped her neck, slicing open his hand with the sharp points of her teeth, making him pull back in pain.  "You bitch!"  She took her advantage and pushed him all the way back, leaping for the door. Spike jumped back just as quick and tackled her in midair slamming her down onto the ground with a great big crash.

"What the hell is going on in there?!" Giles yelled as he re-struggled with the lock. He didn't know where the key would be but he started looking for it.

Buffy kept fighting, literally clawing her way towards the door but Spike punched her down, spun her over and sat on top of her, moving up to her chest and sitting there, pinning her head and arms with his bent legs. She struggled to move her feet while he reached for the second jar he brought and opened it, splashing it around her mouth, face, and chin, forcing it to touch her tongue.

At first she tried to spit the stuff out, foul as it was, but then it hit the back of her throat. She snapped. It was like giving a dehydrated wanderer water in the desert. She couldn't say no and she couldn't stop. She pushed her head up onto Spike's knee, trying to get closer before he released her arms and she took the jar from him with both hands, tipping it back until every last bit was gone, licking what she could reach with her tongue.

"Better?" Spike asked, still concerned. She needed more than that, half the bottle was all over the floor, but as long as she wasn't ready to kill Giles, she would be fine. If she wasn't so desperate and in pain, seeing her use her tongue like that would have been really damn interesting.

"Buffy?" Giles called again, ready to break the door down with a well-aimed kick.

"Everything is alright Giles." Buffy called, relaxing her body as the ache started to dissipate, the only throbbing coming from where Spike punched her. "Just an argument. I won.  You can go."

"Oh you did did you?"  Spike whispered back and she gave a half attempt at a glare.

"Are you sure?" Giles really wasn't sure. That sounded like one hell of an argument.

"Yes." She called back, licking her fingers and what she could reach on her face. "Just leave."

"I'll be right downstairs if you need me." He still wasn't sure but he left anyway, noting to keep an eye on the two of them. They sure had been acting strange. He knew how stubborn Buffy was though and she wouldn't tell him what was really going on if he asked.

Only when she was sure Giles was gone did she speak again.  "You could have let me kill him." She pouted from under Spike's body. He was still sitting high on her stomach, not letting her off the floor, as he brought his tongue to his palm and licked the scratch she made there with her teeth.

"No.  _That_ little piggy is off the market."

She slumped back down when she realized there was no point in arguing. She wanted the blood in the corner too but that had shards of glass inside. There was no point in drinking if she was just going to bleed it out again. "Oh god my head." Even the thought of drinking more blood brought the pain to her attention. "You don't even like him. Why not just him?"

"You wouldn't want to do that Buffy."

"I do want to do that."

"No you-"

"Why is that so important to you? I'm a vampire it's in my nature."

Spike shifted down her body, still not ready to let her off the ground yet. She looked a mess. Her hair was in tangles, her face was covered in blood, there were claw marks on the floor, blood stains on the carpet, rips in both their clothes, and her forehead was still scrunched in pain. "Because.  You wanting to kill him means...then…"

"Then what?"

"Then you got no soul."

She stared up at him with her mouth hung open, not really sure if she heard that correctly. Was that really the reason? They already knew she didn't have one. "And you're just figuring out this now?"

"Never mind. It's stupid."

"What?"

"Just…" He reached down to her face and swiped away a thick line of blood that had been dripping towards her ear, stopping the drop and catching it on his thump. Bringing it to his lips he licked it off and pushed up off the ground, helping Buffy up in the process, not even noticing how Buffy stared up at him, completely mystified. "Stay away from everyone till I get you more blood. I'll bring you a six pack yeah?" He tried to smile but it didn't come off like his usual ones. It was quite pathetic in comparison.

"Wait Spike…." Buffy watched as he left the room and walked down the stairs, leaving her in the mess that was her room, all alone.

She picked up what she could and made her bed look better. They had actually kicked a lot of furniture and she was sure there was a dent in the floor that would never come out. The worst to clean was the blood though. She really just wanted to lick it off the walls, and honestly she did. But there was a lot of glass in the good pools so it was more of a temptation than anything.

The humans came home at random points during the day. If anyone tried to knock on her door she would yell at them till they went away. Every time they came close it just brought the headache back.

Repeatedly she just kept telling herself that all she had to do was wait for Spike. Wait for Spike and the pain would go away.

He would come back.

* * *

Spike did come back later in the day, entering her room without knocking again, finding her sitting on her bed, staring at the wall. She had been doing what she had been doing for a long time while he was gone: trying to figure out why he said what he said. He wanted her to have a soul? Didn't he say that was the worst thing possible for a vampire? Isn't that how Angel felt? Why did he want her to have a soul? Was it about this whole idea of his that she could be human again? It had seemed like he was starting to smarten up about that, let it go. Didn't he like her like this? She even saved Dawn from the demon. It didn't mean she had a soul but she could still do what he wanted.  And why did she care so much?

"Here you go slayer." Spike walked over to her bed with a six pack of beer bottles, each filled to the brim with pig's blood. "Six bottles of Babe's finest." He tossed the pack onto the table and sat down next to her when she didn't answer, inspecting her body for any problems. Physically she looked alright but she was out of it. "How's your head?"

"They all keep moving." She answered without looking at him but he knew what she meant. He passed all the people on his way sneaking up the stairs. "Downstairs. The humans. Every move and I can smell them. It hurts." Her eyes started to tear up again, the small aches starting to spread like they had that morning when she woke up with that migraine, her neck and shoulders starting to feel it the most.

"Here." Spike reached for a blood beer bottle and popped it open, giving it to her. "You went through your slayer blood quicker than I thought."

She took the bottle from him and stared at it in her hands. "Do you think that means the extra power is gone?"

"You'll need more blood to tell. Drink up." He tried to sound cheerful but he was too worried for it to be genuine.

"How's your hand?" She asked, a bit guiltily when she she saw the small bandage that he had wrapped around it.

"Oh. Fine." He shrugged off, gesturing towards the blood bottle again.

She tipped the bottle up to her lips and managed a mouthful before she started to gag. Without the need driving her and without the pain subsiding as quickly, all it was was horrid, thick, cold, red stuff sliding its way down her throat. She coughed and ended up pushing the bottle away from her mouth, trying to drink again, but pushing it away again. It really was awful.

"I can't-" She shook her head and tried again but just couldn't bring herself to willingly drink that. "I can't- It's so-"

Spike grabbed the bottle from her and turned his body to her side, wrapping his free arm around her. "Stop being such a baby."  He pulled her back to the headboard and leaned her into his side, tipping the bottle towards her mouth. She shook her head and pushed away but he held her there and she opened her mouth, reluctantly, but enough where some liquid sloshed inside.

"I can warm it up for you." He offered semi-lamely after she pushed the bottle away again.

"No. Won't matter. Stay." She opened her mouth again and took a smaller sip, gagging again but not pulling away.

"Here, try this." He tipped the bottle just a bit, enough so a small drop landed on her finger and slid down. He brought it to her lips where she licked up the line and swallowed the tiny bit. It wasn't quite as bad but when she tried to do it again, it was still enough to make her want to throw it up.

"Why is it so much worse now?"

Spike shook his head, wishing this wasn't happening to her. She didn't deserve this. "You're going through human blood withdrawal." He was in denial for thinking it was just deprivation.

Part of what took him so long to get back, besides having to go out for more blood, was coming to terms with what he did to her. He still wouldn't allow her human blood but she was drinking it the entire time. He could have prevented this had he not been so stupid. He could have taken her off human blood slowly, slipping it into her pig's blood without her knowing. She would be mad but she would understand that it would be to prevent something like this. She would be fine within a few hours, the night, but the memories of the pain would be forever.  The pain he caused her.

"But I haven't drank anyone. I've done what you wanted."

"I know." He put the bottle down momentarily, wrapping her up closer and rubbing his hand along her arm wishing he could take away the pain. He knew exactly how withdrawal felt. "You drank your own blood. I didn't think it would be this bad but…" He didn't finish his sentence as she was lost to another coughing fit. "Shhhhhh.  No throwing up on me."

"It hurts."

"I know." He kept trying to relieve her pain with the circles of his palm but he knew it was meager to nothing.

Buffy however leaned into his circles, finding his hand a perfect distraction. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was that morning but the humans being downstairs added on with the growing ache made it bad enough. She laughed at herself as she turned to Spike, almost joking in asking, already having his answer for the day. Even in as much pain as she was in, a pain he understood, he said he understood, he still wouldn't let her kill. "Just one human? Please. I'm begging here. The pig's blood just isn't doing it anymore."

"It'll have to." He reached around for the bottle again waiting for her to hold out her hand as it seemed they were only going to be able to do this drop by drop. Pig's blood would just seem all that more gross to her now that it was the only blood in her system.

"Why does it matter so much to you? Me being good? Having a soul?"

"It just does love."

"That's not a real answer." She smiled at him when he didn't say anything, figuring he would be like that. He held up the bottle to her but she didn't make a move so he ended up tipping the bottle on his own hand, bringing it up to her mouth and allowing her to lick his good palm clean. She felt a bit pathetic in doing it but when the blood was mixed with his tastes, it was almost better. Almost.

He did it again, dipping a drop onto his finger and holding it out. She wrapped her mouth around the digit, sucking it clean but letting her tongue linger as it licked him over and over. He tried not to notice how the motion made him arch his hips off the bed, especially not when her eyes met his, his finger still making her lips pout, but he couldn't help but notice the room getting hotter.

Buffy coated her tongue in the taste of Spike while losing herself to her thoughts again. She couldn't do this anymore. This pain wasn't worth going through. Not with what she had planned. She needed this thing with Spike to move forward. No more of his ideas about making her human or helping her. She needed him on her side and there was no longer a long way of doing it. It didn't necessarily mean it was the right way or the smart way but she needed him on her side now. The call she made that morning was all in that plan, she just didn't have time to warm Spike up to the idea anymore.  He needed to be a part of her pack.

"I can't keep this up." Buffy whispered when she pulled back, scrunching her forehead as someone moved on the bottom floor, sending their blood up her way.

"You want to tell them?" He asked, almost hopeful. Maybe this would make her see how much help she really needed. She didn't have to go through this alone and he no longer needed to search for her cure alone.  He still wouldn't let the humans muck it up like they already did though. 

"No. Not yet." Though that day was soon approaching. All she needed was Spike to come into place. "Just…one more day. Alright? We'll go patrolling tomorrow night and I'll tell them when we come back. One more night of it all. The power, the senses…just one more."

"Alright." Spike smiled behind her as she took the bottle and gulped a swig, shaking her head like it was bad cough syrup. "You don't want to go out tonight?" It was a bit of a serious question. She wouldn't be able to patrol but a walk would do her good. A walk away from the blood bags downstairs.

"Can't handle it. I will eat the first human on the street."

He chuckled and looked around the room a bit awkwardly. Buffy had pulled back to take another swig and he did what he came to do. She wasn't going to be patrolling, she no longer needed him, he was done he guessed. "I guess I'll go home then."

"Oh." Buffy said, a bit dejected as he got up from the bed. Had she said something? "Alright." She glanced around the room, not really sure what to do now. Spike needed to be on her side but that would have to wait till the next night. If he wasn't staying…she really didn't know what to do. "I guess I'll just…stay here."

"You could-" Spike started, wondering out loud. He really had nothing to lose though. "You could come with me." He shoved it off as nothing, scoffing and putting his hands in his pockets. "If you want. To the crypt. Get rid of the human stench? Clear your head."

Buffy smiled at him, sitting up straighter on the bed. "We could rent a movie."

"None of your sappy chick flicks."

"Nothing with blood in it." She challenged and laughed with him. "Can you….go tell them something?" She pointed down to the floor below them. "I don't think I can handle it." He nodded and she smiled back, taking a swig of her drink before grabbing the other five bottles and opening the window to her room so she could slip out. "See you at the crypt?"

"No throwing up on my chair.  It's new." Spike warned with a smirk as she jumped out the window and he left the room closing the door behind him. Well that went…better than expected. He was sure Buffy would just want to sleep it off or, well, not hang out with him to watch a movie. He never expected that. It left him pleased and kind of nervous. Was what he was wearing alright? It had holes from the earlier fight.  He had a cleaner shirt in his room but Buffy would be there before him. Would she notice if he-? He was snapped out of his thoughts and came to realize the smile on his face when Willow stopped him in the kitchen with a question.

"Spike, what's going on with her?"

"She's got a migraine." He said with an exaggerated frown before gesturing towards the stairs. "Doesn't want to be bothered."

"So why are you bothering her?" Xander popped in from the entrance, leaning against the side of the frame.

"Do I look like I'm bothering her whelp?"  He turned around with a sigh, looking at the small little boy in front of him.  "She _asked_ for me. Don't see her asking for you."

"Well she-"

"Boys." Willow scolded, seriously worried about the girl who had been screaming at her to leave her alone.  Migraine or not, she did not seem well at all.  She knew some spells that could relieve pain, maybe she could help. "Spike, how bad is it?"

"Nothing sleeping it off won't handle."  He nodded at the witch, contemplating how best to get out of this little worried conversation.  "I brought her some painkillers, she's out like a light. Asked me to tell you to leave her the hell alone for the night."

"Maybe I'll just check on her and –"

"Nope." Spike ran to cut Willow off from running up the stairs and finding an empty room. "Strict rule to leave her the hell alone. She's in too much pain to deal with any yippy yappy."

"Yippy yappy?"  Willow asked with a frown looking around the room as Dawn entered from behind Xander. 

Spike nodded and started back for the door, wondering what movie he could rent for the two of them that fit their criteria. He'd end up with some sappy chick flick and he knew it.  Maybe she'd like that though.

"Oh and where are you going?" Xander called out, nosy boy he was.

"Patrolling." Spike sighed back, making a show of his frustration. How she hadn't killed these guys yet he didn't know.  It was impressive.  "She's not gonna do it."

"Fine."

They all started to leave, including him, but Dawn came running out the door after him. "Wait Spike!"

"Yeah Niblet?" Spike turned, still annoyed but less so than the whelp bothering him.

"She is okay, right? The headache isn't like…" Dawn looked around, up towards the upstairs window and back at Spike, wrapping her arms around her body to fight off the chill in the air. "I don't know…hell coming back or something?"

"Nah, don't worry." Spike tried to reassure her, wishing that he could at least tell Dawn what was going on. Just one more night though. "She's strong she is. She'll be up and kicking by tomorrow. Probably kicking me.  Nothing to worry about."

"You're sure? Giles said she threw a fit with you in there.  Some kind of fight and–"

"And nothing. I calmed her down and she was fine."

Dawn looked him up and down and a sly smile came across her features as she crossed her arms over her body, down to her hips, and tilted her head. The Summers' _I know something_ look. "You cuddled didn't you?"

"Excuse you! I don't cuddle." He poked a finger towards her chest but she just leaned into it with a smile.

"Aww Spike the cuddler."  How the hell did she pick up on something like that?  Besides he wouldn't call it cuddling.  He was force feeding her blood, nothing soppy or prancey about it.

"Watch it Little Bit. I'll give you a headache of your own."

"And yours in the process." She kept on smirking and he knew he lost. Summers women and their arguing skills.  He never stood a chance.

"Go on."  He glared at her, something she had long been immune to.  "It's near your bed time."

Dawn shook her head, knowing it wasn't actually time for her to go to bed.  Spike always said that whenever she won an argument and he didn't like it.  He'd even say it when the sun was still up just to change the subject.  While her life was crazy and no one was really telling her what was actually going on with her sister, at least she had Spike.  He wouldn't lie and he would always be there for her sister.  "Night Spike." 

"Yeah, yeah." She left and he chuckled to her back, looking up at the moon and breathing in the fresh air.  Maybe his red shirt was upstairs.  She wouldn't notice him slipping into that. 

He managed to run the rest of the way to his crypt deciding he knew the best movie rental was on the way there.  When he got to the crypt Buffy was curled up in his chair sipping on a blood bottle and smiling at him when he walked in. "Thanks for having me over. I feel much better out here."

"Good." He smiled and nodded, still standing in the doorway, now feeling more nervous than before.

"What'd you get?"

"Huh?"

"The movie?"

"Oh. Right."  He fumbled with the bag and popped the movie out.  " _Interview With the Vampire_."

"Interview with the vampire?" She started chuckling. "Are you serious?"

"What?"

"A vampire movie?  I said no blood! It's like porn at this point."

"Well if porn's what you really want-"  He moved into the room, hovering over her chair with an easy smile. "-there's a cabinet in my room-"

"Oh my god!"  She held up her hands in surrender, laughing at him and moving away from his proximity.  "Fine. We'll watch the vampire movie."

"You seen it?"

"No. Tried to ignore vampire stuff when I found out what I was. Didn't want to mix the lies with the truth."

"Well you know the truth now. We can laugh at how wrong they got it."

"Sure. Sounds fun." She grabbed the movie from him and read the back of the case. "Oooh. Brad Pitt."

"Oh hell."  Maybe he did end up getting some soppy chick flick.  "Pretty boy playing a vamp?"

"Lead vamp."  Buffy smiled, handing him the case back.

"Maybe I will get the porn." Spike muttered as he started to set the TV to the right channel.

She laughed before downing some more of her drink and losing her smirk to the gross taste in the bottle. "Just cus you're jealous doesn't mean I don't get to watch."

"Jealous? I'm not jealous of that wanker."

"Please. You'd love it if they made a movie about you."

"Damn right I would.  Be a damn good movie too.  William the Bloody:  The Big Bad coming to a theatre near you.  You know they've written papers about me.  Movie shouldn't be that hard."

"Look at you.  You're just loving the idea of it.  Too bad the ending for the movie.  Turned from Big Bad to Big Babysitter.  Saving the word, one bedtime at a time."

"Shut it you."

"Hmmm. Dracula, now there's a movie."

"I said shut it." He started to put the movie in and she watched him while laughing, breathing in and finally relaxing the first time all day. The pain had receded immensely and she could finally think.

"You mind if I heat this up?" She gestured with her bottle. "I don't know where your mugs are."

"Downstairs, under the bar." She nodded and left to go do that and he called after her, "That herb stuff is there too!"

He listened to her rummage around his things as he sat back in his chair and took a moment to himself. This was getting harder and harder to distinguish. He wanted Buffy back in some ways but he really liked this new Buffy. He loved the old Buffy sure, but did he really love this one? One tiny thought about her and he already knew that he did. How could he betray vampire Buffy in hopes of bringing human Buffy back? Would it be worth risking what they had going now? Whatever that was. How could he keep her the same but make sure she didn't hurt anyone, so everyone could be happy? He could only think of a chip but he would never put her through the hell he went through every day. He would just have to figure something else out when they told everyone tomorrow. She said one more day, he would hold her to that.

"You're in my seat." Buffy smirked as she grabbed another gulp of the semi-better tasting warm blood in a mug. She quirked her hips to the side but it only made Spike smirk back at her.

"And you're going to miss the movie if you don't get over here."

She shook her head but jogged over and took up the other chair even if it wasn't as comfy. He dug around for a cigarette and while the opening sequence played, she started to looked at him curiously. "Can I try that now?"

"Hmm? Yeah." The cigarette jumped in his mouth as he dug around for another and held it out to her. She leaned over and took it into her mouth as he reached for his lighter and lit hers along with his own.

He swallowed as he watched her suck in the smoke and trail it out of her mouth right before she started coughing and he lost himself in a fit of giggles.

"Hey!" She coughed, taking a bit of blood in to stop it from happening. He just laughed harder resulting in a smack across his arm. He sucked on his own stick and breathed it out with eased practice, giving her a smirk as if to ask her why she couldn't do that. She tried to copy him and managed to do it better but she still had to cough a bit.

"Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it." He smirked at her frown but the TV grabbed both of their attention as the movie started to roll.

Of course, neither saw as they snuck glances at each other separately.

Buffy was first to glance as the smoke did nothing but make her want to gag. She would keep smoking though. She was sure this was supposed to be relaxing or something. She watched Spike take another drag and did it herself still looking to double check he didn't see. She also had another reason for looking. There was something in the air, she could feel it. She did feel relaxed, maybe a bit on edge from the aches and the tension in the room, but there was just something about Spike….she needed him. That much was clear. She just couldn't figure out why. He was helping but there was more to it than that. She wanted him around. The fact that she wanted him around was changing her plans in her mind. This was not what she intentionally meant to happen when she first started planning. Spike was getting to be more and more important.

Spike noticed the same tension in the air and glanced back at Buffy when she wasn't looking at him. Questions kept plaguing his mind but he didn't care to answer them. He just cared to look at the woman he loved so much, willingly sitting by his side and being with him. He could get used to it.

They shared many laughs over the movie, not believing for a second that this was actually in the horror genre. These pretty boy vamps were ridiculous!

"Do they just have fangs all the time?"  Spike started off the round of questions that went on at random points during the film.

"What about the guy on fire?  He just survived?!"

"And no one notices the freaky looking white dudes?"

"That look like they're in love with each other.  Seriously, why do they look like they're going to kiss each other every second."  Buffy purposefully did not look in Spike's eyes as she asked.   "Does every vamp just have sexual tension with every vamp?" 

"Different times pet.  Different cultures."

"Oh and you would know.  Actually you would know.  Is that what it was like?  In the 1700s?"

"Whoa.  Watch it missy.  How old do you think I am?"

"Fine.  1800s.  You come close to making out with every vamp?  I mean I know it was just you four, Angel, Dru and Darla, but what, did you do that with Angelus?"

"No one notices the dead people piling up around this little girl?"  He ignored her question and she smirked, moving on.

"And rats!  That's disgusting.  Not that this is much better."  She gestured towards her blood.

"I know a certain git who drank rats."

"Angel?"

"Yup."

"Ew!"

"You're the one who kissed him."

"That's disgusting."

After it was over they both looked at each other with a smile, not really sure what was going to happen next. "What do you say to a little drinking game huh? Strip poker?" Spike winked at her, completely overriding the tension.

"I don't know how to play poker." She announced, heading down to get more blood heated.  "Probably shouldn't have told you that after you suggested strip."

"Don't know how- Bloody hell. What was that watcher teaching you? Here, I'll teach you." He ran around to get his deck of cards and move the coffin lid so they could play on top of it. "And while you're down there, get the tequila!"

Buffy laughed as she found the bottle he asked for and they spent the night together; playing poker, drinking blood, and smoking. The best way a person who's dead possibly can, when they're stuck not being able to kill humans that is.


	8. Tonight's The Night

There was another meeting about Buffy and her actions after Spike left the house. No one knew he was actually going to meet Buffy.

Giles had already given them a short re-cap of that afternoon and the confusing argument Spike and Buffy were having which didn't sound like anything more than shouting and things breaking. Dawn tried to calm them with what Spike had said, her having a headache, and Buffy had no reason to lie but Giles thought it was more and Xander was soon to jump onto the idea.

"I'm just saying-" Xander started up again as they all sat around the table in the living room, glancing to make sure Buffy wouldn't come around the corner of the stairs. "What if Spike is doing something to her? They've been alone a lot lately and we know how obsessed he was. I say that hasn't changed. He still acts like a dog with a bone every time he sees her. What if he's doing vampire things?"

"What did you have in mind?" Giles asked Xander with an unbelieving expression.

"I don't know. A nip here, a bite there. Mind mojo. Dracula! Dracula did mind mojo!"

Willow chuckled, "Just because Dracula got you to eat bugs doesn't mean-"

"Hey! They were mostly spiders! And I thought we were ignoring that part. Never talking about it again? Ring any bells?"

"I really think she's just adjusting." Willow continued, still feeling the need to defend. "I agree she's been a grumpy puss but she'll snap out of it."

"When? I mean, I believe you Willow." Dawn piped up from her spot on the couch. "I just hate waiting. She won't even talk to me. I feel like I'm waking up a wolf every time I walk into her room."

"You know she's nocturnal."

"I know but for how long?"

"I don't know Dawn."

"I'm not entirely convinced she's completely there." Giles started, cleaning his glasses in wait for the backlash, first starting from Willow.

"What do you mean, not completely there? I brought all of her back."

"Did you?" Giles shook his head and Willow shut up, sinking back into Tara as she started making soothing circles on her back.

"I did. All fingers, all toes. I didn't make a mistake Giles."

"What if you did? We have all made mistakes Willow but mistakes in magic can be more damaging than we realize. "

"He's right you know." Anya nodded, sitting on the arm of Xander's chair. "One of the first things you learn granting wishes is how one small thing can cause a ripple effect."

Willow was staring dangerously at Anya, magic starting to tingle her senses, so Tara put her hand on her shoulder and spoke herself. "So how do we know for sure Giles? What would have been left behind?"

"It's only a theory…" Giles started, his eyes darting around the room.

"What is?" Dawn asked.

"Physically she seems well. Emotionally she has…some complications."

"Complications we expected." Willow hurried to butt in and Giles nodded again.

"Yes. But there is something else about her. When I observed her fighting the hired demon with Spike…well….she was smiling."

"So?" Xander decided to defend his friend too, even though he wasn't at the fight to see what Giles did. "Buffy usually smiled during fights before. You know, punch here, smile there, witty comment thrown on for good measure. It's Buffy."

"Perhaps." Giles tried not to start the fight he knew would come when he spoke his idea. "Perhaps not."

"Giles," Willow interrupted, getting angrier by the moment since he wouldn't just spill what he had to say already. "What are you thinking? Why are you saying this?"

"I'm saying, with Buffy's attitude towards everyone and her behavior as of late, she seems to be lacking some…moral aspects."

"Moral aspects?"

"She's apathetic. She doesn't seem to have the ability to care. The only moment I saw her genuinely care about something was when she attacked that demon. And killed it."

"She was in a hell dimension." Willow looked around at everyone, the magic really starting to squirm within her with the more impatient she got. She did not make a mistake. Buffy was fine. "Maybe she had to learn to care a little less. We still don't know how much time she was in there."

"That could be true. But what if it's not? What if it's more than that? We have a duty to figure it out."

"Wait," Tara's jaw dropped as she caught on to Giles' idea. "Are you saying….You don't think she has her soul?"

"What?" Willow scoffed, looking back at Tara. "Giles-" She stopped as soon as she saw the look on Giles' face. "That's ridiculous. Of course she has her soul. Just cause she's a bit moody, doesn't mean she doesn't have a soul!"

"For her sake I hope you are right. A human without a soul….let alone a slayer without one…there would be consequences."

"And they would be my fault right?" Willow stood, too energized to take moment more of this blame. "I did this right? Me? Well I'm telling you, all of you, Buffy is fine. She's fine and she has her soul."

"I did not say this to upset you Willow. And I do not blame you-"

"Well it sure feels like you are."

"Wills, maybe-"

"Really Xander? You're taking his side?!"

"There are no sides." Xander stood to face his furious long-time friend. "Buffy is the only side. We need to make sure she's okay."

"She is okay!"

Commotion started in the room as Anya tried to calm Xander and Tara tried to do the same for her girlfriend while Giles tried to reason. "No she's not!" Dawn stood from her place on the couch, yelling, putting everyone else on hold. "Look. If something is really wrong with her or if she's just a little more rough around the edges, it doesn't matter. She's my sister, okay? I want to make sure she's okay. And right now, she's not. She's in bed, with a headache and you're all out here screaming at each other! You all keep acting like you care but none of you really do. Or she would be talking to you. She won't even talk to me. So something…something is wrong. But for tonight, it's just a headache. She needs more time. If she's still this way in a few days then we can bring it up to her. We don't need her realizing that everyone that is supposed to care about her is plotting behind her back."

"That's not what we're doing Dawn." Willow said as calmly as she could.

"And if she doesn't have a soul, it can't wait a few more days." Giles said definitely.

"Fine." Dawn pouted out her lips, anger still rushing through her. "One more night. If she's not better by tomorrow night then we'll do a spell or whatever you guys have planned to mess her up even more. Alright?"

"Dawn-" Tara started, hoping to calm her down.

"No." Dawn lashed back. "I'm making this decision. That's final." She stomped out of the room and up the stairs with a definitive crash on every step. This was her decision and they were going to listen to her for once.

"One more night." Anya turned towards Giles. "Can it wait that long?"

"It will have to." Giles nodded and went back to cleaning his glasses, double checking the stairs to make sure Buffy was still in bed and hadn't heard any of that.

* * *

After Spike's, Buffy had to go home in case Dawn decided to try and wake her up again. She didn't feel like explaining how her head miraculously got better or how she ended up sleeping at Spike's. Plus the run home would be fast. It seemed that her extra slayer power was still there under the surface. She may have drank herself dry but something in her DNA kept it around. As long as she had blood, she was good.

Like a miracle in itself, no one did try to wake her. She slept through the day till the afternoon and woke on her own to find the house lovingly boarded up and free of all sunlight. She was still greeted by everyone in the kitchen, each worried in their own way, but for some reason, they were almost bearable. They all actually were avoiding her a bit, behavior that was a bit odd, but that didn't matter to her. They all looked at her like she might explode and she took advantage of that, jumping around corners and popping out from under tables. It was quite fun to frighten them and smell their adrenaline. It was almost enough to not want to kill them. That was until she remembered why she was on this planet and not dead like she was supposed to be.

There was also the fact that she drank a bottle of blood before coming down the stairs. She had another just waiting for access to the microwave. It took the edge off enough where she could tell everyone she was feeling much better and would even go out patrolling. Giles didn't seem to believe her as much as the rest, he wasn't hiding his uneasiness as well. It was obvious he knew she was hiding something. That wouldn't matter for long though.

They only had until tonight.

Spike stopped by later in the day, almost nightfall. He wanted to check on her and had the slight hope that they could go out again, maybe end up back at his place. Movies or not, he just wanted to hang out with her.

"Hey slayer." He slid in from behind her in the kitchen, watching as everyone glared at him in turn from the other rooms. Except for Dawn, she smiled. "We going out tonight?"

"Yeah actually." She smiled at him, downing the blood she had managed to heat as Spike's presence kept everyone away from the kitchen. "I have somewhere I want to take you."

"You do?" He leaned over the counter, giving her a coy smile and a rundown of her body with his eyes. Whatever surprise she had planned, as long as she was wearing those tight jeans, knee high leather boots, and far too low cut top, he was fine with it. Seriously, she had to of cut that top with scissors. No store would sell it like that without having to take full responsibility for all the havoc it would cause by the men getting distracted by it. Two lovely, smooth, lumps curving down, just barely squeezing into that-

"Yeah." She knocked him clean from his thoughts by speaking but she knew what he was looking at. Xander had caught his fair peek earlier and Giles practically ran from the room. Heaving her chest on the table to make them look bigger she leaned into Spike's space and lowered her voice to a whisper. "But it's a surprise so shut up."

"Yes ma'am." Spike gave a lazy fake salute as his tongue rolled between his teeth and his eyes started to drift yet again.

"Hey Buffy." It was the other Summers girl that had him stopping this time, turning to lean on the edge and see what she wanted.

"Yeah Dawn?" Buffy turned the same way and, hopefully without Dawn noticing, subtly pushed the mug of blood in Spike's direction.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Dawn shifted into the room more, peeking over her shoulder to make sure the others didn't hear her. They never said they were going to tell Buffy what they thought but she deserved to know.

"My cue to leave then." Spike pushed off the table and started for the back door, already fishing for a cigarette. "Don't want any part of this frilly talk I'm sure. Teddy bears, duvets, and bra-"

"No Spike," Dawn called him back, pulling out a seat for herself and for him. "You should hear this too."

Spike gave Buffy a worried glance but leaned on the edge of the stool and waited as Buffy took a seat too and they all leaned into their small semi-circle to talk in quiet.

"Alright Dawn. What is it?" Buffy couldn't even sound annoyed. Too good a mood she guessed. Even Dawn's constant worrisome nature couldn't bother her. For too long anyway.

"Last night." Dawn swallowed, checking over her shoulder again. She really shouldn't have been so worried about telling her. She was sure Buffy would throw a fit about it but she had to tell her. "Everyone met while you were sleeping and….We're all just worried about you Buffy, you know that. But Giles was thinking and…"

"And what was Giles thinking about?"

"You've been a bit…you know. And well…Somehow Giles got it into his head that something could be wrong. That maybe something in the spell went wrong."

Buffy froze for a moment, her eyes bugging and automatically glancing at Spike in worry. He too was giving a similar look. She should not have allowed Giles to stay. She should have killed him when she had the chance. Only a few more hours until she was free and he was about to ruin everything.

"Everything is fine Dawn. Nothing is wrong."

"I know that! I do. But he thinks…well he thinks some of you may have been…left behind."

"Left behind?" Alright, so he didn't know she was a vampire but that still threw her through a loop. "What do you mean left behind?"

"In the hell dimension. He thinks Willow may have…your soul...accidentally by the way. Willow feels bad enough as it is. She doesn't think anything is wrong but-"

"You think she left my soul behind in hell?" Buffy asked almost incredulously. They had it half right. Smarter than she gave them credit for.

"No!" Dawn defended, almost reaching out to grab her sister's arm. "Well yes. Not me. But they want to do some magics to make sure. I don't think another spell will help anything but it's not like they'll listen to me anyway."

"No Dawn." Buffy nodded, getting a nod from Spike as well. She even reached out and put a hand over Dawn's leg, brushing her jeans to try and comfort her like a good big sister would. "We don't need to do more magic." Of course, she was doing it for other reasons. "I don't want to do more magic. I'm fine. I really am. I have my soul."

"That's what I thought." Dawn smiled wide at her sister's change in attitude and gesture, though she still wouldn't move her hand over Buffy's for fear that she would move it. "Spike doesn't have soul. He would have told us if you didn't have one."

Dawn looked at Spike who stuck an easy smile on his face. Lying to the rest of the humans, easy. Dawn, with those big puppy eyes full of innocence and hope and youth and kittens and things…harder. Still, he had promised Buffy one more night. He could do that for her and apologize to Dawn later. "That I would have. Though I doubt she had a soul to begin with. Trying to kill me as many times as she did."

Dawn laughed at his joke as Buffy took her hand off Dawn and moved it in a cutting motion across her throat for Spike. A playful death threat that only made him wink at her.

"Tell you what Dawn," Buffy stood up and shook her hair out of her face and started to sweep it up into a ponytail. "After patrolling tonight, I'll come back and show everyone just how fine I really am. Alright?"

"Alright." Dawn stood up herself, glad that Buffy seemed to be doing so much better. She didn't know why everyone was so worried. She was doing extra fine today.

"Come on Spike. Surprises await!"

She jogged out the back door and he followed, giving a nod to Dawn and finishing off the rest of Buffy's blood.

* * *

Buffy led the way the entire time while Spike waited patiently for her to show him whatever surprise she had in store. For the life of him he didn't know what it would be. Even when they reached the spot she was taking him, he still didn't know.

"Buffy what are we doing here?" He looked around the top of the ground, knowing what lay beneath. This was a way to get inside the Initiative. He remembered it pretty damn well himself. There weren't many cheery memories of him being there. Saving the lot of humans, really all for her sake, even if it started because he couldn't get his chip out after all. Still, being brought to the place that shoved a chip in his brain, locked him up, and had him be gawked at by the floozy ex wasn't his idea of a surprise.

"Well…" Buffy turned on her heels, breathing in deep and readying herself for the argument she knew would come. "You'll like it..."

"Slayer-"

Spike's tone was dangerous as he started shifting into his fighting stance so she started to ramble off her reasons and hoped that he would follow. "So I wanted to do something for you. I know me coming back as a vamp has been confusing and stuff but I understand now." She walked closer to him, shifting into her vampire features and letting the moon shine off her fangs, laying a hand across his chest. "You called yourself a monster. You weren't a monster. You have so much control and you went through all that pain for me." She slid her hand up and flipped the pads of her fingers so they drew a line over his temple. Spike couldn't help leaning into the touch, his eyes closing. This was one hell of a surprise after all. "It must have been so hard for you. I'm so sorry. I want to make it a bit better." She smiled at him when he opened his eyes and looked down at her in confusion. "I called the Initiative today. Or I think I did. Flower shops and things." She shook her head so he wouldn't ask and continued with anticipation. "I think we can get your chip out." She broke out into a full smile and gripped at the sides of his jacket trying to pull him into her excitement. "Then we can really be vamps together. You'll be off your leash and we can really play."

She started giggling but Spike didn't join. He grabbed her hands and started to pull her off his body. "Buffy-"

"I know, I know." She took herself off of him and turned to the city that would soon be hers. "Just wait to thank me after it works."

"Buffy no!" He moaned from behind her, wishing he hadn't heard what he just did. Yes, running away to go be scary creatures of the night sounded marvelous but it just wasn't right. It couldn't be right. "This isn't like you at all. You wouldn't get my chip out. You wouldn't trust me enough."

"Well I trust you now." She turned to him, a little more than put out at the fact that he didn't start jumping up and down with joy with what she just told him. "I don't care if you start killing again."

"You should!" He grabbed her on either side of her shoulders and pulled her to his body, shaking her as he spoke. "This isn't you. _I want the real you back_."

"Well I'm not coming back!" She pushed him back, hard. He stumbled but didn't go very far. "So you might as well get used to it!"

"No. No I refuse to believe that." He tried to reach out for her but she moved her body again. "I can help you Buffy. Help me help you."

"Help me? By making me human again?!"

"Nothing will have changed."

"I'm not going back to that!"

"You can't be cursed like this!"

"Cursed?!" She laughed and started rounding on him, sick of having to defend how she felt to him. "I'm free! I'm finally free! My life before was a curse. Always being told what to do, where to go, who to kill, what to die for. I'm done! I don't want to be the slayer anymore. I finally have power and I'm not letting it go."

"I can fix you Buffy." Spike pleaded, inching closer as she only backed away and grew bigger, screaming her words.

"Fix me? Fix me?! I'm not broken!"

"You will be!" He shouted right back at her, sliding a hand through his hair when she backed down and groaning to himself in frustration.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms over her body and watched as Spike paced. She knew she was in for some sort of fight but this wasn't exactly what she pictured. She was not broken.

"You want to know why I care? Why I want the old you back? Because this-" He slammed a hand against his chest, the sound waves it caused echoing through his ribcage. "This is hell Buffy. This little idea you have, that what your experiencing right now, _that_ being hell? No." He shook his head at her before he started to pace again. "It's too easy. What's hell is what you will become. Always needing to kill. Always moving forwards, past the humans, never having a home. Sure it's fine and dandy for a bit. All that power, you can do whatever you want. But every vamp has their day. That day when they realize they have nothing left! I don't have a soul. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel! You'll feel it too. You'll end up just like the rest of us. Wishing you had the choice to take it all back."

Buffy waited for him to finish his little speech before walking up to him, glaring up into his eyes. "I don't know if you remember, but I never had a choice in the first place. They did this to me!" She pointed towards the town below the lights twinkling in the distance. Somewhere down there, Willow and friends were all talking about her. Whispering and gossiping about how she was behaving, having no idea that they were the ones causing her to be this way. They were the ones that brought her to hell. And according to Spike, it would only get worse. So why the fuck would she not take what was hers before that happened? Who said it would even happen to her? "Besides, that's your life. I won't be alone."

"And who's going to be there with you huh?"

"Well I had some in mind but I see that's not going to happen!" She pointed a finger in his direction but he just shrugged it off and started to walk away. "You used to want to be with me." He stopped dead (undead) in his tracks and faced the tree line, refusing to look at her. "You couldn't ever believe that we could be working together. Well now you have that chance. You have a chance to be the closest to me you could ever get and your throwing that away? Why? What are you scared of?! You've done this before, you've killed, it's not like you have a conscience. Do you just not love me anymore?"

"Don't." He closed his eyes and set his jaw, shaking his head and trying to keep his demon down. "Don't you dare."

"Too obsessed with someone trying to kill you?" Buffy couldn't stop herself from going on and on. There was no filter for her anymore, she just kept talking. "Is that your thing? You want someone who hates you? Is that why you want me to have a soul?"

"Buffy-" He finally turned on her and they both rounded each other, circling slow as fists started clenching.

"When I was human, you said I treated you like a man. It was true. You were growing on me. Is that what you want? Is this you? Do _you_ want to be human again? Human with a soul? That won't get me anymore Spike. I'm a vampire!"

"This isn't about me."

"Yes! Yes it is! You masochist. You just want to want me don't you? Too scared to actually believe I could change my mind about you. Well guess what? I started to change my mind when I was human but I still believed you were this primal, disgusting, pig with a robot. Now? Now I finally see you and you want to run in the other direction. You coward! Changing me back won't make me fall in love with you! You're pathetic!"

Spike stopped his circling and moved in close, far closer than he ever should have dared, and leaned over her body. She refused to back away but she could feel the power radiating off of him and into her body. Hell she even liked a bit, even raging mad she still found it alluring. "I loved you Buffy. Nothing's gonna change that. But you're just some newborn vamp trying to sink your fangs into a bigger bite than you can swallow." His tone quickly changed to mocking as his hands flew in the small space between and around them. "Plans of conquering the world? Revenge on the people that wronged you? Guess what? We all had those! The world doesn't work that way pet! It isn't handed to you on a silver platter just cus you got a battery boost and a new set of teeth. All that power doesn't make you better than any other demon on this planet. You're gonna learn that the hard way if you don't watch your step."

"And who's gonna make me?" She leaned up on her toes and laughed in his face, a smirk sliding up from under her fangs. "You?"

"I will if you don't stop running that mouth of yours. Yeah, maybe I want you back as a human with a soul, slayer kicking my ass around. Maybe it's selfish, maybe it's not. Though I gotta tell ya, I'm really starting to want the old slayer back now. At least she had a reason to be such a bitch. You're just some lost, inexperienced puppy looking for someone to kick around. You're just a narcissistic, bitchy-"

Spike's head slammed to the side as Buffy's fist collided with his face. He held to his jaw for a moment, a little shocked at the action and kicking himself for not seeing it coming. He sprang back with his own punch, jumping into his own demon form, and made her head slam to the side as well.

In an instant they were both at each other like wild dogs. Spike let all his frustration out through every kick and leap and Buffy did the same, pulling in all her slayer power and aggression.

Buffy was first, quick with a kick to the gut that bent him over and following up with a punch to the side. Spike rolled away before she could get a third punch in and slid a leg out from under his coat and knocked her in her ankles. His power was enough to have her tripping and he pounced off of the ground and slammed the bones of his wrist into her forehead when she tried to sit up.

A quick kick came from behind him as Buffy flipped him to the other side of her and she rolled to a perfect stance. He waited for a moment and caught her when she tried to pirouette around his body to land another blow. He gripped her leg between his hands and tossed her aside, a kick to her midsection following.

She jumped up to avoid his kick and landed on a close rock, giving her a bit of an edge in a jump and allowing her to kick him square across the temple. He dropped to the floor and she tackled him beneath her body. He only managed to flip their positions for a second before she flipped them back.

He pulled back to punch her face but she moved and all he came into contact with was the sharp bone of her fang, cutting across his skin. He hissed in pain and she took the moment to land more punches into his demonic features.

With both hands he pushed her off his body and sat up, picking up a rock and using it to knock against her skull. Blood came back before he tossed the rock aside and spun to land his foot in her chest. She fell back but just as he was about to jump on top of her, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small stake she carried around with her.

He stopped short, tripping a bit over himself, but managed to prevent himself from falling. She looked at the stake in her hands, back at him, and dropped it to the ground. It was too late though. He was already running away.

"Spike? I wasn't going to hit your heart!" She called after him but he only ran further and further into the distance. "Where the hell do you think you're going?! Spike! Fuck you too then." She muttered to herself and looked around, her eyes falling on the stake.

Really it was just instinct to pull it out. She finally got that fight with him she'd been looking for but it was fueled by the wrong things. Aggression and revenge and being pissed off were never good reasons for a fight like that. At least not with a stake in the mix. She didn't mean to pull it out. Of course, she never would have used it, but it didn't look good. She would have to go after him to apologize. Shit, she just made her life a lot harder. She kicked the rock on the ground and brought a hand to her head. Damn he got in a good hit. She was bleeding and that was definitely going to hurt in the morning.

* * *

Spike ran the entire way. He didn't know if Buffy knew where he was going or not. He just needed to get there before her.

His entire body was starting to ache with the rush of the fight leaving him. She really did pack an extra punch on top of the vampire strength. Slayer plus vampire equaled a beating. Still, there was no reason for her to pull out that stake. Inexperienced, just like he said. She was too new. She needed to be stopped before there was never a chance to fix her again.

"Spike? What happened?!" Willow's voice rose in shock as she stared at Spike's bruised face and torn clothing, blood smeared on his face and dripping from his hand. "Is Buffy okay?!"

"She's fine. I have something I need to tell you all." He marched himself over to the living room and yelled to the witch behind him, the one who started this mess. "Get everyone in here now."

"They're all here." Spike's appearance and tone had her running up the stairs and calling down after him. "One minute." She jumped in and out of rooms, gathering Tara and Dawn and Xander and Anya from upstairs and Giles came from the basement on his own.

"Spike?" Giles stopped in the living room and watched as the rest of the team started to meet them in the room. "What is this about?"

"Buffy." Spike swiped away the blood dripping down his face only to bring more of it with the palm of his hand. There really was no point.

"Oh great." Xander sarcastically piped up as he descended the staircase. "What's he doing here?"

"Shut up whelp, I have something to say."

"Excuse me-"

"Xander shut up." Willow shushed him with a raised hand and turned back to Spike, still put off by the amount of blood tracking around him. "It's about Buffy."

"You know how I warned you Red?" He couldn't help how pissed off he was. He didn't care that he started ranting at all of them. He knew better, they should have, but they didn't. This was all them. "All magic comes with a price. Well I know what that price is. I promised her I wouldn't say anything but it's getting out of control. She may kill me for this…literally actually. But I have to tell you. I can't control her on my own anymore."

"Control her?" Giles moved to Spike's attention, concern the only thing on his mind. "What are you talking about?"

"Buffy. She's-" He looked around the gawking faces of the young teens and adult around him, falling onto the youngest of the all. Dawn looked more than shocked at his state and she was hanging on his words. He knew this would hurt her the most. He looked away and back at the others, trying to say what he had to as sensitively as possible. For the Bit's sake. "She's - she's like me."

"How like you?" Dawn was the one to ask but he didn't look at her when he answered.

"She's a vampire."

"A vampire?!" Willow yelled, looking around the room for some hint that this was all a joke they decided to play on her. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"She has been avoiding sunlight." Tara whispered out slowly, looking at the boarded up windows and remembering how every morning since her return, Buffy would always make sure to close the blinds. Dawn even made a joke about it.

"And she's been hanging around creepy here more than normal." Xander seemed a bit out of body, not even in full insulting mode when regarding Spike.

"She hasn't been eating." Anya added as fact, handling it a bit better than everyone else but still a bit shocked.

"But- but it can't be." Willow shook her head over and over, falling back into a chair behind her, refusing to stop. "It-it-it can't be."

"I've only just kept her from killing people." Spike continued, speaking more towards the only adult in the room (relatively speaking). He seemed to be breathing normally at least. "I've been feeding her pig's blood and she seems to listen to me but she's still coming into it. She's kept off the hunger by fighting and with her own blood but that only goes so far. She's not herself. She doesn't have a soul."

"No." Spike turned to Dawn who was staring at the wall, tears starting to brim over and fall on her cheek. "No it can't be."

"I don't know what to do." Spike continued, not really sure how to help Dawn and not wanting to comfort the other companions. "She's just not Buffy. She is but she isn't."

"What made you come to us now?" Giles asked, gesturing towards his clothes and face.

"She tried to do me a favor." Spike sneered as everyone gave him an incredulous look.

"Oh God. Doing you a favor?" Xander looked at the others with a fake smile. He couldn't bring himself to actually smile. "She really isn't herself."

"What favor Spike?" Tara asked while rubbing her hands across Willow's back, wishing that she could calm her down and help them figure this out.

"Tried to help me get my chip out." He tapped his noggin and everyone started to go into shock again.

"Oh no." Anya was the one to speak before Spike explained a bit further.

"I've been looking to get her human again. Undo the damage you did but…Doesn't seem to be a way. You messed with some really deep and dark there Red. You're really in the shit this time."

Willow couldn't bring herself to say anything or even look up at Spike. She didn't do this. She couldn't have done this. She could not have done this to her friend. It had to be a mistake. A lie. Something. Just because Giles said he thought she didn't have a soul and just because she overheard a demon, who was on his back bleeding because of Buffy, say something that vaguely sounded like 'vampire' didn't mean that she was one. Spike was just spinning a lie. He really didn't have a soul, he could do that and not feel bad. Her magic did not do this. It did not.

"There is no magic to bring her back to being human." Giles announced in his textbook way of speaking, knowing that it was a lie. Any magic that would turn her human though, would be forbidden. He could not allow the possibility for those consequences. Not after this spell went so wrong.

"Willow." Xander spoke up, turning to his witch friend. "Don't we have that spell we used on Angel? The one where we can get the soul back into the body?"

"Yeah." Willow nodded, running through the spell in her mind and lifting her head. "Yeah actually I have all the stuff upstairs. It'll really take it out of me but I think I can do it. Giles?"

"Yes. It seems that is our only option." Giles looked around the room as the older members of the group ran up the stairs and Dawn sat quietly. There would be no helping her, he had tried before when she got like this. She would only scream and lock herself in her room. It was best to let her come out of it on her own. "Spike, a word." He nodded towards the dining room and Spike followed with a second glance at the young Summers.

"What?"

"While I appreciate you taking care of Buffy you should have come to us."

"And what? Have you poking and prodding her? She was going through enough."

"She's a slayer and a vampire, returned after many months of death due to magic. We don't know what she is or what will affect her."

"I can tell you she's powerful." He nodded at himself, showing off his beaten body. "She won't go down easy."

"If this doesn't work." Giles double checked to make sure Dawn was out of hearing range but lowered his voice anyway. "You do realize we may have to look at other options." He did not want to think of those options himself but if Buffy was really what they said and she was a lost case, there was only one thing to do.

"It'll work."

A resounding crash of the front door stopped anyone from talking again as a battered Buffy walked through and into the threshold.

"You know Spike-" She cocked her hip to the side and glared at him. "-betrayal is a powerful thing." To think she was going to apologize to him? After he wasn't at the crypt, she knew exactly what he planned on doing. Everything was messy now.

"Buffy." He turned to her, pleading in his stance. "They're going to help you."

"Help me?!" She shouted around the room and swiped a hand over her body, wiping some blood off her arm along the way. "There is no helping me!"

"Yes there is!"

"Buffy…" Dawn's broken voice could be heard from the living room. She got up slowly and walked to the bottom of the steps to face her sister. She could see it now, the things that were different. It all made sense now. She grew up with a vampire slayer and she couldn't even spot a vampire that was living with her. Still, it was her sister. They were going to help her like Spike said. "We're going to put your soul back."

"My soul?!" Buffy's eyes went manic as she turned the full of her fury on her little sister. "I don't want my soul." She started to laugh with the same menace, making the water in Dawn's eyes fall faster and the frown on Giles' face grow steelier. "I feel so light without it."

Spike was the first to jump, slamming her back against the door frame. She pushed him right back and into the living room, jumping on top of him and continuing their fight from before. Dawn screamed at her to stop but she ignored it.

Giles moved fast towards the weapons cabinet and dug up some chains along with a solid steal bat. It wasn't one of Buffy's favored weapons but it would get the job done without killing her. She was far too distracted by Spike kicking her and Dawn's high pitched shrieks to notice that he had tossed the bat to Spike's side.

Without being told Spike grabbed the shining thing and gripped it in his hands, winding it up like someone was pitching. Buffy looked at Giles with a sense of mock shock before ducking the first swing and using the bat against Spike to smash him into their newly fixed desk. It smashed down around him and he sunk into the floor, refusing to let go of his weapon.

Dawn tried to run forward to stop her but an almost too easy push with her hand and Dawn stumbled back into the chair and right down onto the ground. Spike saw Dawn fall and a new sort of drive made him push off the ground to attack again. Giles took up the chains and did what he could with them, aiming for her head and neck.

She managed to push the chains away, wrap them around her wrist, and give a good blow to Giles' head but that distracted her too much. The next thing she felt was a resounding conk against her skull as Spike swung the bat hard and it hit her temple. One more swing and she was out like a light, only seeing that pitch black behind her eyes.

* * *

"The spell is almost ready." Tara's voice echoed far in Buffy's mind. "Oh no, she's waking up."

Buffy squinted until she could open her eyes, ignoring the pain in her head. She tried to wiggle but she realized she couldn't move very far. They had the chains down tight around her body. She was very well tied to the case of weapons. It wasn't the best placement on their part. As soon as she got free, that was what she was going for. Still, they knew what they were doing and she couldn't move very far.

In front of her stood and sat every human and Spike. Their blood all rushed around her ears and nose but something else could be detected. Some herbs and a genie ball were all laid out on mat in front of her. She could tell what they were for. "Well look at this." She shook her head and with fake cheer greeted the room. "All my friends here to betray me once again."

"Betray you?" Willow looked across the mat at her with sad eyes and she almost reached out to touch her arm but didn't think this vampire would respond well. "Buffy we didn't do this to you."

"Actually you did."

"Shut up Spike." Willow barked over her shoulder at the vampire that was _not helping_. "We didn't."

"Oh but you did." Buffy spoke up, eying everyone in the room to measure their guilt. "Did you even bother to think of what might have happened to me after I died? Did you bother to think that maybe hell wasn't where I went?"

"But it was." Willow continued to shake her head, barely glancing at anyone else in the room. "It was why you came back as a vampire. You got changed there or something."

"All magic has a cost Willow." Giles spoke in a distant tone, to furious to do much else. "I told you this."

"But I didn't do this!"

"Oh Willow you did." Buffy smiled at her and flipped her head back, sliding into her demon face and relishing in the shock and gasps that filled the room. Spike gave a huff for the dramatic feel but she knew he would be doing the exact same thin if he could. "I can feel it you know. The relationship between a sire and vampire is powerful. I can feel our connection." Even in that moment, concentrating on that bit of 'white noise', she could feel that heat. That extra feel of power and something she just couldn't explain. "Shame you can't. Or can you?"

"Buffy I-"

"See-" She interrupted before the witch could speak. She didn't really care what she had to say. "Because what really happened was I did go to heaven. I was done. I was complete. I was happy. You're the ones who pulled me down to _hell_."

"We didn't-"

"It was hard at first." She continued to interrupt, a guilty Xander this time trying to talk. She had been longing for this moment. She was going to get it in before they shoved a soul back down her throat. They needed to know what they did and she was going to love every second of their realization. "I didn't know what to do with myself. Spike explained a lot to me." She gave him a smile but he was pretending not to look at her. Of course she could see he was glancing but she moved on quick to read the others.

The only one she couldn't read was Dawn, she was doing that zombie thing she did when she got too upset. Still, Dawn wasn't really a part of it all. Hell, she was probably just as mad about the situation as she was. She didn't have any say after all.

"See," she continued "I was drinking my own slayer blood, from the moment I started digging my way out of my grave. It was what caused me to not have to rip out your throats as soon as I saw you. Not that I didn't want to. Even now I wouldn't mind ripping open one of your veins and drinking my fill. I don't know what human blood tastes like, Spike won't let me have anything good, but I bet it's good." Her eyes fell to Willow's shocked ones and she locked them in, making her listen. "Especially you. I fantasized so many times about sinking my fangs into your beating heart. I even pictured ripping it out of you first. Thought it might be _fun._ "

Willow gasped in the back of her throat but Buffy had the ears to hear it. She started to chuckle and moved on to the rest of what she had to say, powered by her hatred and the feeling of getting to shove it in their face for the first time in far too long a wait. "Then there was all this energy! Everything was new, it was all so much. So much pain. I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't know what I was. I just wanted to kill. I wouldn't even care either. Isn't that great? I finally know what it's like not to care." Everyone was hanging on her every word. She soaked it all in, breathing deep, and even tasting some of their shock and fear in the air. It was heavenly. "So there I was, dead, and you all just had to tear me back to this world. As if I hadn't done enough. I saved it enough. Now…" She looked around letting her fake cheeriness fade away as she started to yell from her belly, blame slung like punches and each of them flinching as they were hit. "I'm in constant pain and it's all your fault. You're fault! I'm in hell. This is hell! And now you're going to shove my soul back inside me? You want me to be in that pain? Don't you think it's up there? In heaven? Where I was?! What cost is it going to come at, dragging that thing down? What price am I going to pay?"

"Willow, start the spell." Giles stopped the speech before he could break any more than he already was. What had they done in his absence?

"Of course." Buffy chuckled at her former father figure. "Ignore it. Stiff upper lip." Her British accent wasn't the best. "Knew you would." Another round of looking around just made everyone crawl back into their bodies further as Willow started to pick things up, tears flooding form her eyes, as she prepared herself. Tara was even crying by her side, all while muttering things like 'it's okay' and 'it's not your fault' or 'you can do this'.

Dawn had started to cry from her spot, the only people not tearing up, besides herself, were Giles and Spike. Spike had lived in pain for far too long and he wasn't about to let the speech he'd heard already make him live in any more. Giles was as British as ever.

"You'll be back to yourself in no time Buff." Xander tried to smile at her but his cheeks were red and Anya was holding tight to his hand.

Buffy closed her eyes as Willow started to chant and the ball started to light up. Taking in one last breath she tried to memorize the taste of the salt on their cheeks touching her tongue. She hoped she would remember this feeling, the pleasure it brought her, even after they made her goody-goody. She could live with the memory of a little piece of heaven after all.

"Shut it." She snapped but didn't get to do much else before an energy filled her system, feeling like Willow and the way her magic flowed, and coursed through her bounded limbs. The connection was intense, one she could have expected from someone she was already magically connected with. Golden light jumped out in front of her eyes and from every pour it could but just like that it was gone.

The spell was done and everyone looked on with a hopeful expression, Willow looking on from Tara's shoulder as the spell had taken a lot over her. Spike even managed to glance over with a questionable look.

Buffy was slumped over, her chin buried in her chest. No one dared to move until she did, her shoulders rising and falling and a sound escaped her lips in short muffled bursts, sounding somewhere between a horrible sobbing and a shuddering laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one on this site asked but here you go anyway...
> 
> AN: So to lay Spike out ABC style: He was acting the way he was, wanting Buffy to be human with a soul and not wanting her to kill a human or have the urge to or drink human blood, out of selfishness. He may play it off as not, but really it was. He wanted to save Buffy so the human her would realize he saved her, and didn't allow her to do all those vamp things she wanted to do, and she would "owe" him for it and maybe even genuinely be pleased with him about it.
> 
> He knows that as soon as the Scooby gang finds out, they'll probably turn her human anyway (or what you just read), he's not dumb. They would also kill him if he let Buffy do the evil she wanted. He's not recruiting them (for obvious reasons) but he does expect Buffy to be turned back.
> 
> The difference with the canon season 6 is that he was the one that manipulated her to the dark side and kept her there, almost controlling it. In this, he doesn't actually expect it to last. While in canon 6 he may not have expected their 'relationship' to go on forever, he knew he would see it coming and he knew what was going to happen eventually. This Buffy is too different, too unpredictable. The situation could change at any moment and while Spike isn't a control freak, he does want to have a handle on what's happening.
> 
> This is Buffy, the woman he loves, flipped 180. Canon Buffy was still herself, a little depressing and dark, but still herself (soul and all). Evil vampire bitch Buffy is too much to take in after waiting for human Buffy for so long. He saved the human one over and over. She is what he expected, not this.
> 
> The positives of her being an evil vamp are there for him but he doesn't think that is possible. Even with her offering to take his chip out, it's all too good to be true.
> 
> Any more questions, please ask (though I will not spoil) (hint maybe)
> 
> Much love-


	9. Your Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be on vacation next week so you probably won't get a chapter till...well two weeks. I know, things are just starting to pick up and I leave you. I'm sorry! I didn't even know I would be going on this till two days ago (London/Scotland). Yay for study abroad! I'll let you know if I see Nessie.

Buffy looked up at the crowd of people surrounding her, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open as they looked on with worry. Then, after a moment, her lips quivered and she just started to burst out laughing and everyone's face turned to shock.

"It didn't work." Willow fell back from her crouched position onto the floor, looking around the room in a panic while Buffy continued her manic chuckling. "Why didn't it work?"

"Give it a moment." Xander held up his hand, starting to chew on the inside of his thumb nail. "Maybe it just takes longer."

"That tickled." Buffy laughed out, sighing to herself and leaning back into the chains that bound her. "I felt nothing. Oh this is too perfect." She met the eyes of everyone in the room, a smile on her face so wide the back of her teeth were showing. They all just looked so miserable. She sang, "I don't have a soul anymore."

"No." Willow gasped again, Tara trying to lift her off the ground. "It had to work."

"No, no, no." Buffy faked whined, exaggerating the shakes of her head to mimic Willows, before chuckling again. "I'm it. This is all you get."

"Buffy..." Anya didn't know what else to say.

Xander crossed his arms over chest and took on that face that he thought was just so manly and devoid of emotion. Buffy could see right through that though. "She's gone."

"No, see, I'm still Buffy." She looked at Xander with a smirk, the lack of her care finally coming out after such a long time of having to hide it. "I just don't give a rat's ass anymore."

"Don't listen to her." Giles spoke from the edge of the room, looking past Buffy and towards the plywood covering the window. He had really hoped this would have worked. It should have worked. Since it didn't, that meant his inkling was true. This was far more dire than he had originally thought. There was no chance of saving her. At least no chance he would be willing to take. "She's gone."

"Oh and what are you going to do Giles? Lock me up in the basement?"

"No we can't!" Dawn lost any sort of cool she had as she leapt up and valiantly tried to cover Buffy's body with her own, standing between her sister and the gawking onlookers. "We can't lock her up!"

"Tara," Giles looked away from the group, the limited options running through his mind. There was no happy ending here and their constant fighting wasn't going to help. "Take Dawn to her room."

"No!" Dawn screamed as Tara came closer and she fell to the ground and grabbed at the chains around her vampire sister, pulling at them as Tara tugged on her arm.

"Come on Dawn."

"Buffy! No!" It was too much for Dawn and she was already breaking down, shaking and crying. Her hands slipped away from the metal coils and she fell back into Tara as she led her up the stairs and to her room where she fell on her bed and started to sob, pulling the pillow as hard as she could into her chest. The muffling didn't do a thing to prevent Buffy from hearing.

"What are you going to do then?" Buffy turned her attention to those left in the room, giving dirty looks towards everyone and an extra dirty smirk towards Spike, who still continued to stare out at nothing. None of them answered her so she decided to do that for them. "Kill me? Again?" There was a mostly (minus Spike) group flinch and everyone who dared to glance at her let their eyes fall to the ground in shame. "Well which one of you is going to do it huh? Can any of you look me in the eyes and drive that stake into my heart? Hmm?" She looked around again at the shame filled faces but this time Giles had his eyes on her, truly devoid of emotion and giving her the look he gave her so many times when he went to his 'bad place'. "Oh Giles. It would always be you wouldn't it? You were always the one. As my watcher, as my guardian, as my slayer. You'd be the one to kill me, Ripper."

In a flash Buffy was blocked from Giles' view by a long leather jacket and the back of a pair of jeans. "No!"

"Spike get out of the way." Giles finally walked into the room, everyone gaping at him for not automatically refusing what she had said. Then they all saw the small stake he had wrapped in his fist.

"Come near her and I'll break your bloody neck." Spike promised with his hands in fists and his finger pointed out. That threat was a promise for everyone in the room and they could all hear that. Spike didn't get too emotional often, usually just lots of sarcasm followed by short bursts of anger, but when he got like this they all knew not to mess with him. Chip or not.

"Spike there is nothing we can do to save her." Giles continued in his stoic manor, hoping the older-than-him vampire wouldn't realize that was a lie. Spike wasn't completely involved in the magic scene so there was a fair chance that he wouldn't know. If the soul spell didn't work, if the magic didn't work, then...

"There has to be other ways to help her!" Spike stood his ground, almost pleading with someone else to take his side. Surely, even those these twits that were the ones that put her in this position, surely they wouldn't let her be murdered! "We'll keep her till we figure them out."

Giles continued to shake his head, ready to explain half the truth on why it couldn't be so. "Spike." He lowered his tone to a friendlier version, still in his Ripper persona. "She's impervious to magic. It's not just that she doesn't have a soul. It's that magic will no longer work! She's done for. There is nothing we can do."

"Done for? She's not done for!"

"Giles, there has to be something." Anya finally spoke up. "We can't just kill her."

"No-" Any restraint Willow had broke when she heard Anya actually say 'kill'. She shook her head and fell back, continuously repeating herself and letting the tears blur her vision. This could not be happening. She wasn't losing her best friend. Not again. "No, no, no, no, no."

"Xander," Giles regarded him with a nod. "Take Willow away."

"No!" Willow ran forward and jumped at Spike's feet, another barrier in front of Buffy. She didn't even see Buffy's sneer from behind her. "No! No! You can't!"

"Xander!" Giles lost his cool for a moment and Xander jumped forward, pulling at Willow's arms.

"Willow come on." She wouldn't move and started to drag with him. "Willow." He shook his head and pulled her up into his arms and forcibly started to pull her from the room as she started continuously scratching and clawing to get free. Anya followed and tried to help best she could. He understood why she was throwing a fit but it wasn't going to help them come to a sane conclusion. No one was killing anyone.

"No!" Willow screamed again but couldn't bring herself to think of any spells to free her from Xander's arms. She couldn't think straight at all.

Giles turned and faced the last defender in the room. "She is gone. Everything about her is gone. She is just a vampire. Move Spike!"

"Just a vampire? No. She's Buffy." Spike continued to follow the stake in Giles' hand as he listened to the others fighting in the kitchen. If he could stall for time then maybe they would come to their senses and tie up the old man. "She looked up to you! You were like a father to her! Now you want to kill her?!"

"I don't want-" Giles swept a hand over his brow before taking a steadying breath and facing the vampire again. "Spike. She's gone."

"No. I won't let you."

"You can't protect her from everything. She's too dangerous. There is nothing we can do."

Buffy watched as Spike continued to defend, Dawn continued to sob with Tara, and Willow continued to fight to get past Xander as he tried to calm her so they could re-enter the room. This was so fantastic, better than what she pictured. She didn't actually think they would try to kill her so quick. They had more coming to them than she had originally thought.

Of course she couldn't ignore the fact that Spike was playing protector, right after giving her up to them. Now she was stuck listening to the whining bunch while stuck in a bunch of chains. There was no way in hell (quite accurate description actually) that she was dying. These humans were going to die long before she did and by her hands too.

She watched Spike turn to her and she could practically hear the gears in his mind turning. Giles must have been in too much shock or too distracted by all the other screaming in the house to see it. Now he was really starting to get her worried. What was that look for? What was he doing?

"No." Spike turned back to Giles with defeat in his voice. "Let me do it. I'm a vamp too. I know how to make it painless." He reached out for the stake as Buffy glared into his back. She expected this from them but never from him. Like he said, he was a vamp too.

"I can't let you-"

"Just let me." He held out his hand, a sad version of his cocky attitude coming from his slumped body. "You'll all need someone to blame. Might as well blame me. What's a third on my list of slayers right?"

Giles seemed to contemplate this for a while but eventually let the horrible task go and gave the stake to Spike. He would never be able to do it anyway.

Spike turned the stake in his hands slowly and dipped down in front of Buffy, her glare never relenting as she struggled in her chains. This wasn't in the plan for her. Spike was supposed to feel guilty, so were they, they were supposed to let her go so they would feel that much more bad about it when she came back for them. It would be their own fault. Now Spike was just going to kill her?

"Well Spike. Kill one vampire, kill-" Buffy was cut off from her accusation when Spike grabbed either side of her face in his hands and smashed his lips on top of hers. She scrunched away from the attack, far too disgusted with his killing her to even think of reciprocating. As she tried to pull back in her chains she could feel the stake scratch down her cheek and she could hear Giles turning away, Willow still hectic, and Dawn still sobbing. All of a sudden she felt the chains start to loosen and her wrists stopped feeling so pinned. She opened her eyes wider as Spike pulled back and whispered in her ear.

"When I say so, run. Meet you at the Initiative." He stood back up, the stake in his hands and turned quickly, thrusting the blunt end into the back of Giles' head. He screamed out in pain as the oncoming slaughter radiated from his chip but he also managed to yell out to her. "Now!"

Buffy sprang free from her binds and kicked Giles down, a good punch landing against his temple and knocking him out cold. Xander and Anya and Willow all ran into the room as Dawn started crying harder, Tara not able to leave to see what happened.

"Buffy!" Willow yelled at the sight of her free, relief in her voice, until she saw the unconscious Giles lying on the floor. Quickly her expression turned back into shock and Buffy just laughed.

"I'll never get over that face you make."

"Buffy, wait-" Xander tried to step forward but she started to slide into her fighting stance so he held up his hands and backed off. "Just, think about what you're doing here. We don't want to hurt you." Buffy scoffed and turned towards the door. "Wait!"

"No!" Willow screamed and used the magic that had been fighting its way up inside to slam the door shut from across the room. "You're not going anywhere Buffy."

"Watch me." Buffy sprang, leaving Spike by the door, and ran full force towards the humans. Xander started to block the other two girls but she quickly kicked him to the side and he fell straight on his ass. Anya yelled and tried grabbing the closest thing nearby to hit her with, a part of the broken desk, but she had nothing on Buffy's strength. The wood cracked and Buffy punched her under her chin, sending her flying towards the kitchen door. Willow leapt back in surprise but quickly started to channel the power within her and aim it at her friend. She knew this spell, had done it many times, it was simple levitation. Buffy couldn't do anything if she was floating and it wouldn't even hurt her.

Again and again she tried and tried but nothing was working. Buffy giggled as she felt the tendrils of power float over her skin, trying to latch on but failing miserably. Again Willow tried but again she failed and Buffy continued to laugh.

"What- I don't-" Willow couldn't form a sentence before Buffy gave her a hard slap across the face and a kick in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her to the ground.

"Huh. Impervious to magic." Buffy stood over Willow's hunched figure as she grabbed herself in pain. Buffy leaned down, sure the other two were too busy doing the same thing to attack her. Besides Spike would warn her from his corner, that was if this wasn't all some plan of his.

Taking up both of Willow's cheeks in her hands she looked her in the eyes and wiped the smirk from her face. Willow looked back with eyes wide, tears already brimming from pain and confusion. "Willow, I want you to hear me okay? Nod if you can hear me." Willow again let tears fall in her confusion but nodded anyway. "No matter what they tell you, what they try to blame this on, know that this...this is your fault. I'm the way I am because of you. You killed me. Every action I take, every person I kill, will be because of you. You made me the way I am." Willow could barely keep her focus on Buffy she had started to sob so much. Buffy pulled back a hand and Willow looked up only to find Buffy's nails crashing down against her cheek. Blood started to bubble up and Buffy switched her face to its demonic form. Making sure Willow could see, she slowly moved in and licked up a harsh line from the side of her mouth to the dip in her temple, letting the sweet and delicious tasting blood glide against her tongue. She swallowed and her eyes rolled back in her head as she felt the pleasurable rush of the human blood hit her system. It was like an adrenaline rush in itself, electricity pouring from her throat to her body. She smiled and leaned further down to whisper into Willow's ear. "Thank you."

Quick as she could she popped away from her sire and ran over to Spike who opened the door an followed her out, swallowing down any dirty thoughts he had swimming around after witnessing that scene. This wasn't going to be so bad after all.

But that also meant Buffy tasted human blood.

And she would be hungry.

Soon.

* * *

They both arrived at the Initiative and crawled beneath the ground together. Buffy took a moment to take in the dark surroundings and Spike made sure the door was completely closed against any others. It looked like the Initiative, just broken down. No one had fixed it after that fight. Government work at its best, just leaving it around. Still, that was why she had brought him there in the first place. But then he changed his mind.

"Why are we here Spike?"

"They're going to look for us at my crypt. Figure they wouldn't bother checking here."

"That's not what I mean. Why are you here? I sure as hell wasn't about to let them kill me but why didn't you?"

"Do you really even need to ask that question?"

"Well you're the one who turned me in."

"I thought they could help you Buffy."

"Why would I want help from them? After all they've done to me?"

"I've heard this song love." With a sigh Spike stopped their aimless walking and leaned up against a rail that overlooked the area he was experimented on. "I just- I wanted to give you your best chance."

Buffy growled, more to herself than to Spike. She had been so mad at him and just like that she changed her mind. Didn't mean she wasn't still a bit annoyed. She could never actually tell what he was thinking. "I don't see you lining up for the soul patrol."

"I have the chip."

She smirked at his defensive behavior as he jumped onto the rail and sat on it, paying no mind to the large drop if he happened to fall. "I'm a vampire. I know that just cus you can't kill anyone doesn't mean you don't want to."

"Well I care. Slayer I… I was never gonna let them hurt you."

"Just cus you care doesn't mean you have a soul either."

"No. Guess not."

His pathetic tone had her sighing to herself yet again. When did she start feeling bad about it? "Look, I'm not going to be who I was. But I'm still me. I'm still Buffy Summers, the girl that can kick your ass to hell and back." That got him to crack a genuine smile. "I do care. I just care about different things."

"What do you care about?"

"Well…" She leaned onto the rail he sat on and slid towards him contemplating the answer to that question. She was indifferent to a lot of things. But what did she care about? "Honestly avenging my death and everything else. Willow's blood just felt so…" She trailed off as the memory had her eyes rolling back into her scull with desire, again.

"Look at your face. You gonna start swinging for her team?"

"Shut up."

"Don't knock it till you try it." Buffy swung at him playfully but he jerked away before she could hit him and send him over the edge. He gave an exaggerated glance down. "Careful slayer. Wouldn't want to damage this pretty face of mine."

"Pretty face? Is that what we're calling it?"

"Hey now. I'm a regular James Dean."

"Who the hell is James Dean?"

"Never mind," Spike chuckled a bit to himself as he dug a cigarette out from his pockets and lit it in his mouth. "Before your time."

Buffy chuckled at him as he handed her a cigarette and she started to take a drag. She started to think about his question again. What else did she care about? Revenge seemed to be the only thought on her mind, after getting blood which she knew would have to wait the night or the Scooby gang would be following the screams. Funny how she could call them that and not picture herself in the group. It was refreshing.

"Something interesting?" Spike asked as he watched the smoke from Buffy's cig spiral into the air for moments longer than it should.

"What?" He gave a lazy point in the direction she had been looking. "Oh." She spiraled back around on the railing and took another pull from the death stick between her fingers. Well, death wasn't really a thing for her anymore. After getting used to smoking she could actually start to see why others did it. "Just thinking. Blood, revenge."

"Ah," Spike noticed how Buffy had moved to stand directly beside him, the side of her arm leaning against his thigh. "It's the equivalent of porn and masturbation for them teenage boys. Always at the forefront of the mind." She let her head fall back a bit as he poked her in between the eyes before jumping from his spot on the rail.

"Yeah."

"That it then?" Spike asked as he turned to the wall in front of her, leaning up with a foot flat against it. The hallway was much smaller than he though. His leg bent like that had him almost grazing her. She looked a bit trapped between his legs. Wasn't a bad thought actually.

"What?"

"Revenge and blood? All you care about?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes in her direction before muttering to the ground sarcastically. "What a true blue vamp you are."

"Hey, you care about that too."

"It's not all I care about. I guess I'm just more rounded than you." He over exaggerated a sympathetic face before throwing what was left of his cigarette to the ground and putting it out with his foot. "Pity."

"Well it's not _all_ I care about." She didn't really understand why she was defensive about it. Spike's opinion couldn't have mattered to her, shouldn't have mattered. Why did it?

"Well you know what I have." He leaned in towards her and brushed away a small piece of hair that had flown into her face, making it obvious what they both already know. He heard her swallow and smiled to himself, leaning over to rest a hand on the rail behind her and invade as much of her personal space as possible. "What else for you then?"

Buffy turned her face a bit and took another long drag from her cigarette to buy her time. Something about Spike being so close was making that answer hard to come up. She blew the smoke in his face and started doing what she always did, ramble. "And…well…you know…and um…..you-" A noise caught both of their attention as one of the doors on their floor slammed open and many guns started to click in their direction. Light started too pool in and Buffy had to squint to try and see. "Who are you?"

"Miss Summers." A man in the middle of the group spoke up and she could start to see the uniforms they all wore, camouflage. "Agent Finn reported that you tried to contact him earlier today."

Buffy smiled, trying to keep in a laugh as she whispered to Spike, the other man hearing her, "Flower shop my ass." She also threw her cigarette behind her and rubbed it out with the bottom of her boot.

"He indicated you might be needing our assistance. We are to provide you anything you need to help assface over here." Spike gave her a confused look and they both looked at him for an explanation. "Those were his exact words ma'am."

"I always hated that guy." Spike mumbled to her, not really sure it would be good to say that to the uniformed men with guns pointed at him.

"Yeah well he needs help with his chip." She looked around the group of men, hunger starting to scratch at her after seeing her first humans, but she was still wary of how horrible a bullet wound would feel. This was too perfect though. She didn't expect them to actually show up here. Especially not after that phone call. "You got a guy for that?"

"Yeah. Agent Linn."

"This way." Agent Linn walked out in front of the group and the soldiers all got into line. He started to talk and lead them towards the medical bay. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It's hurting him." Buffy looked at Spike, having thought up the lie as part of her original plan. They didn't exactly need the Initiative on their ass about him getting the chip out simply because she asked.

"That is the point of the chip. When he tries to attack humans a wave of pain-"

"Yeah, yeah I know what it does."

"So do I." Agent Linn said, taken aback at her abrupt attitude.

"I mean-" She tried to apologize with a smile but she just really hated doing that. "I mean that it started doing that when attacking demons. He helps me in patrols, kills vamps and all other things that go bump in the night. His chip started activating when helping me. I need him."

"Ah, I see. I suppose that was always a risk of happening. We never tested for that as we never thought a demon would attack its own kind-"

"Yeah, yeah I get enough of that from the vamps, don't need it from you." Spike chimed in as they entered a medical room that still looked pretty intact. The agent was carrying a briefcase though, so the real things were probably in there. None of this dusty stuff. Or so he hoped. They weren't exactly known for their compassion towards vamps.

"Well you have an option." Linn said to Buffy and turned to the man who had been doing the talking before. "Captain?"

"Agent Finn said all decisions regarding hostile 17 are to go through you." He nodded at Buffy, barely regarding Spike. "You have the option to repair the chip or remove it. It's your call."

"Remove it." Buffy replied, almost a bit too quickly.

"You will be responsible for all his actions beyond this point."

"Yes I will." She smiled at her own hidden double meaning.

"Alright." The Captain nodded and faced the other agent. "Linn."

"Just hop into the chair and I'll get started." Linn walked into the room and began laying things out for surgery.

Spike followed him in, a bit apprehensive. He never liked hospitals and he sure as hell didn't like this place. Still, he jumped into the chair and settled in, preparing himself for what would happen next. It would be bloody brilliant after, the fighting, the getting to drink human blood, the lack of migraines, but brain surgery wasn't something he rather liked the idea of.

Buffy walked over to him and put a hand on his arm, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I'll be right here. Don't kill anyone when you come out."

"Got it love." He nodded and leaned back further, looking up into the light Linn had turned on.

"You're okay with this?" Buffy asked, thrown a bit by his readiness. He had literally been fighting tooth and nail not to do it before. She just wanted to make sure he had no doubts. She had to trust him.

"If I can't have you any other way…" He looked over at her and closed his eyes, turning his head back towards the light. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, eh?"

"Okay." Linn walked over with a needle in his hand and Buffy moved out of the way. "Alright, you'll fell a small pinch and then count back from ten." He inserted the needle into Spike's arm and pushed the liquid through.

"Ten, nine, eight, se…." Spike's counting drifted off and his head fell completely to the side.

"He's out." Linn turned to Buffy and nodded at the door, readjusting his gloves, and moving towards his tools. "You can wait outside."

Buffy nodded and left, making sure to stick right by the door so she could hear anything they had to whisper. No funny business was going to happen on her watch.

* * *

"Giles what just happened?" Tara came running down the stairs and jumped over the older man's limp form, his eyes just starting to open. "Giles?"

"What happened?!" Dawn screamed as she looked at the room around her. Things were broken, people were hurt and bleed, and Spike and Buffy were gone.

"Dawn-" Willow started as she sat up, trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder and face. She couldn't even think about Buffy licking the blood from her. It was just too sick. And the things she said...they were true. They were all true. But now wasn't the time to go through them.

"Where is she?" Dawn continued, frantically. "Did you-" She looked at the pile of chains, unsure if she was imaging that pile of ash. "Tell me you didn't-"

"No." Willow walked to the staircase where Dawn was stuck panicking. A panic attack wouldn't help anybody. "She got away. She's-"

"She's dead." Xander said from across the room as Anya helped him up.

"Xander-"

"No. There's no point in jumping around the fact that Buffy is gone. She died when she jumped off that tower. We brought her back dead." He looked around the room, taking a moment more to look at Willow and the scratches on her cheek. He had seen what had happened and thought of bringing it up to prove his point more but knew it wasn't the right time. "Spike was right. It's our fault."

"No. It's my fault. I did the spell. I brought her back. I sired her. It's me. I'm sorry." She turned to Dawn, the tears already springing back up. "I'm so, so sorry."

"There's nothing to be done about it now." Giles said weakly from the bottom of the stairs. Tara had managed to help him lean against the wall but he still needed to hold his head in his hands. "Magic will not work on her. You heard Spike, she hasn't killed yet but she will."

"What if we reason with her? Maybe she'll want to fight the good fight." Dawn walked down the stairs to try and get everyone to listen to her. "Like Spike? Maybe we could get a chip in her head or something."

"I wouldn't put all my faith into the maybes." Giles replied with a wince as he felt the spot Spike had hit him. He really should have seen that coming.

"But there is a chance right? What if we take her? Keep her in the basement? We could prevent her from killing and figure it out from there."

"She'll hate us." Anya said as she helped Xander into a chair. Apparently Buffy got him good enough for some pretty major bruising.

"I'd rather have her hate us alive than hate us dead." Dawn replied back, her temper already flaring. The fact that they even discussed killing her sister was enough to send her over the edge. What else had she missed when in her room?

"She's not alive though." Giles said again, his spot on the floor making it hard for him to be heard. "Not really."

"It doesn't matter." Willow said with resolution as Tara came to check on her cheek. "We have to fix this. I have to fix this."

"What happened?" Tara asked but Willow just gave her a sad shake of the head and she let it go for another time when they were alone.

"Come on." Xander nodded towards the weapons cabinet and started to pull himself up, ignoring the pain he felt in doing so. "They'll probably be headed to the crypt. Spike will need blood if they plan on going anywhere."

Everyone started to get up, Giles taking the longest. He looked at Dawn and at the messy house and spoke again. "Dawn, you'll have to come. We don't know what's on her mind. She's not the Buffy you knew. None of us are safe."

Dawn nodded, not because she agreed but because she wanted to go. If she could just talk to Buffy alone, she could get her to see. She knew she could. They had to help her. There had to be a way. There just had to.

* * *

Buffy continued to watch the door as she heard the medical agent doing his thing. It was a bit interesting and even a bit gross to hear his instruments cutting open Spike's scull. She kind of wanted to see it happening but really needed some time to herself and needed to make sure none of the other army kids were going to do anything stupid. They were mostly annoying her with their untouchable human blood pumping around. She couldn't kill them though. It would cause difficulties.

She took a moment to wonder about the others, the humans. They were all bruised and broken and beaten in so many ways. Of course she had so much more planned for them. That was barely a taste.

Willow's face was the best of all. Absolute perfection in the devastating amount of guilt she sent her way. It would surprise her if she didn't kill herself over it. Good thing Tara was there to stop anything like that. She wouldn't get to have her fun. Though it would be one hell of a laugh.

Fun she would have. Soon. So very, very soon.

And what the fuck was that kiss about? Why was she even letting it enter her mind?

Revenge. Blood. That's it. That's all she wanted to think about.

Revenge and blood. Blood and revenge. Revenge and why the hell did he do that to her?


	10. Underground Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously in Red Roses: After Buffy offered to take the chip out of Spike's head so they could take the world together, Spike realized just how bad things had gotten and after a fist to fist fight that ended in Buffy almost staking him, he told the Scooby gang exactly what had been going on. Held captive, Buffy taunts her former friends and shows them what they've truly done to her by bringing her back. Willow attempts to do the spell to put Buffy's soul back in its place but it doesn't work. Giles explains that no magic will work on Buffy, she is immune, and that they have very few options. Everyone becomes hysterical as Buffy's death is mentioned and most have to leave the room, all but Spike, Giles, and the tied up Buffy. Spike guards her like a dog as Giles tries to explain their loss of hope. It isn't clear if he will actually kill her or not but that seems like what he's going to do. The decision is made for him when Spike offers to do the killing himself, knowing how to make it as painless as possible. Giles gives in and hands the stake over only to be fooled by the two as Spike slips off Buffy's chains during a distracting kiss and he is attacked from behind. The rest of the crew from the kitchen, Anya, Willow, and Xander, all try to reason with the two vamps but Buffy wants none of it. She attacks them all and in a futile attempt, already drained of her power, Willow attempts a simple levitation spell. Buffy isn't affected and instead attacks, spitting accusations at her sire and getting her first taste of human blood from her cheek. Together Spike and Buffy run away where she takes him to get his chip out as she explains how she has changed and he explains how he'll remain true to her cause. Concern washes over everyone as Buffy waits for Spike's chip to be out and the Scooby gang try to find the vamps before they decide to kill or hurt anyone else.

"They're not here." Xander called out from inside the dark of Spike's crypt. Everyone else started to funnel through the door, every other with a flashlight in their hand.

"Check downstairs." Dawn said quietly, her arms wrapped tight around her body to keep out the cold and to keep her standing. She could have mentioned how to turn on the lights but she didn't feel much like helping at the moment.

"Downstairs?" Xander asked with a bit of a cartoonish look as he swept the light across the ground. He didn't see any downstairs.

"Yeah." Dawn moved in slowly and stood over the spot where the trap door was hidden. "Spike never let me down there but there's a ladder right under there."

"Alright." Xander shot everyone a worried look, stuffing his stake into his back pocket and checking his holy water, as he uncovered the ladder and climbed his way down. "Buffy? Spike?" Anya followed him down and they both called out together. "Spike? Buffy?"

"Buffy? Evil vampire Buffy?" Anya's calling was cut out by a small mumbled argument between the two before; "Fine. Buffy who we totally know is a vampire but are not going to say is evil yet? You here?"

Xander's sigh of frustration could be heard but he just called up instead; "I don't think they're here."

Everyone on the top floor looked at each other with grim smiles before climbing down after the couple and joining them on the lower level.

"Whoa." Tara ran a hand over the giant bed and the drapes that matched the comforter. "When did Spike get all of this?"

"Well he planned to move in permanently." Xander said bitterly as he opened the fridge and found the blood left behind. "That's pretty obvious. And look, blood. They haven't come back here."

"Maybe they knew we'd be coming." Willow said looking out at the stone wall, not really concentrating on anything. She had been that way ever since leaving the house. Occasionally she would run a hand over her cheek but the stinging from her cuts only seemed to make it worse.

"What if he's lying?" Xander slammed the fridge door behind him as he leaned on the bar and faced the rest of the group. "What if Buffy was human when we brought her back and he somehow changed her but made it look like we did it? Blamed us so she would be mad at us and go to him? Makes sense doesn't it?"

"I don't know Xander." Tara shook her head as she subtly ran a hand up Willow's back to try and soothe her. It killed her that nothing was working but they would have their time. Buffy was what was important now. "Buffy was acting weird right off the bat."

"Yeah." Dawn leaned against the stone and mumbled when everyone started to look at her. "Actually…well…she…"

"What?"

"When I was cleaning her up…after she….when she came back. Well…I cut my finger and she…kinda…kinda…"

"What?" Xander asked a bit more forcefully.

"Well freaked out a bit?" Dawn's voice rose as she knew she was only promoting the idea of her sister being, well, wrong, but it was true and it wasn't Spike's fault. "She didn't say anything but she had a look and…I don't know. But Spike hadn't seen her before then!"

"We don't know that!" Xander continued to argue his side. "He could have been there right after she crawled out and changed her before any of us seen him."

"I was with him the entire time!" Dawn continued to raise her voice as her heart started to pound louder. Pretty soon it was the only thing she could hear, just the pounding in her ears, so loud, it was almost echoing off the walls with her screams. "He couldn't have! He was protecting me from the demons then I ran away and found Buffy myself!"

"Why do you keep defending him?!"

"Because it's true!" Dawn turned to the rest of the people in the room, all keeping their mouths shut for their own reasons. Well they should have been talking. They should have been defending him with her. "Spike has done nothing but try to help us. _We_ did this to her!"

"Dawn you had nothing to do with it." Tara tried to comfort from a distance, already knowing the teen wouldn't understand.

"I wanted her back just as much as you guys did."

"It's still us that brought her back." Willow spoke to the wall as she watched a drop of water wind its way through the cracks towards the ground. "It was me. I did the spell. It was all me. God Giles, what are we gonna do?"

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do." Xander interrupted before Giles even got a chance to open his mouth. It was just as well. He had a look mirroring Willow's and everyone had been pointedly ignoring him since the living room. They all knew he was willing to kill her and none of them were willing to forgive him for it. "We're gonna build a nice little vamp cage and we'll lock both of them up. No need for Spike to play the big hero and mess things up. Willow, you and Tara can do a tracker spell right?"

"Sure-"

"So go to the Magic shop with Anya and get what you need, including the stuff for the cage. Take Dawn with you too. Giles and I will keep patrolling." Everyone nodded along with Xander, all ignoring the biting tone he had towards the elder in the room.

"Okay." Willow responded as she snapped herself out of her staring contest, now having something prosperous to do, and turned towards the man they were all so furious with. Deep down she knew what he tried to do but she couldn't really process it and he was still always the one to go to for a plan. "Sound good Giles?"

"It sounds like the only plan we have." Giles nodded but the others were already leaving without hearing his answer. Xander and Dawn were up the steps, Tara helping Willow reach the top, but Giles waited and whispered to the last of the group. "Anya, a word?" She looked up the steps and back at Giles with a curious stare before taking herself over to him and pointing the flashlight between the two of them. Giles continued to murmur to her when she was within range. "At the back of the shop, up the stairs, I told you about those books correct?"

"The restricted section." Anya nodded along, remembering her lessons in taking over the Magic Box. "Yes I remember."

"There is a book there that may help. I don't want Willow or Tara to know about it."

"But Giles, doesn't restricted mean _no touchy_?"

"You're the only one to touch." Giles brought out a tiny scrap of paper and placed it in her hand before continuing. " _Chthonic_ _Gods: Spells From Below_." Anya checked and that was what the paper had written down on it. "Don't let the other girls know and bring it to me when you can."

"I thought magic wouldn't work on her."

Giles gave a tight lipped smile in appreciation for her logic and ability to keep up. While Anya was an odd one he could always count on her to be smart and understanding. "We used gypsy magic. The same magic used on Angel. It works on most but not those who've been touched by...well, this magic is not so…light."

"Dark magic?" Anya's eyes widened at the thought. She had used magic enough times in her life to know the cost Giles was talking about. She had seen what dark magic could do and it was never a pretty sight.

"Hence why the other girls must never know about it. Dark magic brought her back, dark magic will work. Willow has seen enough dark magic though. I will be the one to handle it."

"Alright." Anya nodded and slipped the paper in her pocket. Ideas were already streaming through her mind. If dark magic worked, there could be a way to help Buffy after all. Of course the other girls couldn't know about it. Anya had seen what a bit of dark magic did to Willow already, Tara was too weak to handle it. Giles would be able to and maybe even she could help. It wouldn't exactly be her first time. "If you're sure."

"I am."

With a nod they both headed back up the ladder where the others were waiting for them.

"What was that about?" Xander asked with arms crossed and an accusing glare sent towards Giles.

"Me." Anya said with a bit of a fake smile. She was never a very good liar to Xander, she always told the truth all the time no matter how many people asked her to stop, and lying to him just seemed wrong. Married couples weren't meant to lie, but they weren't exactly married yet. "I had to make sure that whatever we use from the shop I get compensated for. I'm willing to help Buffy but I still run a business." Everyone gave her the usual looks of disappointment for her caring of money over people but at least they brushed it off. Anya knew that the lie was for the opposite reason, it was to help Buffy. Plus, she really did want to know she was going to get compensated. She didn't get a chance to ask though.

"Giles," Willow started. "After we get her in the cage, should we send for the council or-"

"No. They will kill her in a heartbeat."

"Weren't you going to do that Giles?" Xander asked, his arms crossing over his chest. "What's stopping you?"

"Nothing." Giles answered sharply, everyone snapping their gaze back to him, most of them glaring. "She has not killed yet but she will if she hasn't already. If she attacks, I will not hesitate to put her down. Buffy never would have wanted this."

"So she would want to be killed?" Dawn yelled back feeling her blood already start to boil again.

"She wouldn't want to be drinking the blood of the innocent." Giles tried to sound semi-comforting but he knew he was failing.

"So what happens if we do catch her?" Xander asked, his anger never leaving his tone. "Are you going to kill her before we can find a way to help her?"

"If we manage to catch her alive I will provide help in your research but I will tell you now that I do not have very high hopes. I do not see her coming out of this alive."

"Great to know where you stand Giles." Dawn spat out as she stomped off towards the door to get out into the cold night air. She really needed to cool off.

"Dawn-"

"No!" She spun on her heels forgetting any restraint she might have had. "That's my sister. Soul or no soul, vampire or not. She's my sister!"

"It's alright Dawn." Xander assured her as he stepped in front of Giles, cutting him off from her view completely. "We'll find a way to get her back."

"Oh my god." Willow whispered out at the chair she had been staring at and everyone turned to see what she was looking at.

"What Willow?" Tara asked, keeping up the circles on her girlfriend's back.

"Angel! Maybe he can help."

"So we're going to bring another vamp into this?" Xander scoffed but no one seemed to agree with him. He looked around the room waiting for someone to say something. "Does no one else see that as a bad idea?"

"Xander, he's had his soul taken away." Willow nodded along with her idea, building up its momentum in her mind. "He knows best what she's going through. Maybe he knows a way to help. He has his own investigations team, maybe they could even help."

Giles spoke before Xander coul again, "Let's hold off on getting Angel wrapped into this-"

"But Giles-"

"Or do you forget how he feels about Buffy as well? Look at what Spike just did. He helped her escape all because of his feelings for Buffy. Angel would do the exact same thing. If they believe any part of her has a chance of resurfacing-"

"Alright. We'll wait till we have her at least. Yeah?" Everyone but Giles nodded along with her but he at least didn't disagree straight away.

"Let's split up." Xander commanded, putting the team back into the situation at hand. "Meet you guys back at the Magic Box. Stay safe."

"You too." Anya called back to him as they exited the crypt and started the walk back to the shop, flashlights held high, stakes silently places in back pockets, and holy water stuffed in every front pocket with the hope of a fast getaway if she decided to come back.

"Come on Giles." Xander held open the door and pointed towards town. "Let's go find an undead rouge half-slayer half-vamp that hates us."

"Wonderful."

* * *

"How do you feel?" Buffy leaned over Spike's body in the chair, a hand holding onto his upper arms, digging her nails in to prevent her from attacking the humans surrounding them. It had only been an hour or two but she was losing all sense of self control as the blood rushed around her. It was all she could think of after a while and when they came to tell her he was done with surgery, she almost bit out the doctor's throat.

"Like I had someone touching my brain." He groaned at the light above his head and held his free hand over his forehead, feeling around for any cuts. There was a ghostly feeling inside his scull where he knew the human had touched him. He could almost smell it. "It's all…not right."

"Other than that?"

"Oh," His eyes darted down where he felt her hand wrapping around his wrist. "Fine."

"Okay." She quickly released his arm and spun around to face the agent that had removed the chip. The small device was now sitting in a tiny metal bowl on the small table by the chair. It seemed so tiny for causing so much pain. "Thank you."

"Yes Miss Summers." He nodded and turned to the man in charge who nodded at her.

"Watch him." He pointed at Spike and then made a gesture to round up everyone else he had brought along. "Everyone, out!"

"So, what do we do now?" Spike pushed himself into a sitting position and closed his eyes as the humans left the room. He was a bit dizzy from the anesthetic they gave him but it wasn't enough to prevent him from feeling the change. There was still the usual pain he felt as a vampire with no teeth, the usual headache and throat pain that he had learned to live with. But now he had the knowledge that he could fix it. His demon was free and was rearing at the chance to get out there and run. The lingering smell of the human blood wasn't helping.

With a wicked smirk Buffy leaned over towards Spike and sniffed the air. "I don't know about you but I could really use some human blood."

"You sure you want to go out tonight? Scoobies will be out looking for us."

"Oh you're just a big baby." She pulled back with a laugh, backing up towards the door, mocking him as she did. "Scared of your chip going off?"

"Well you're not the one who's had their head explode every time they punch in the wrong direction."

"Well if we're gonna meet Angel, I'm gonna need-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He stopped in his tracks making her have to turn back to face him. "We're doing what now?!"

"Meeting Angel." She replied calmly, with a smile and everything.

"Why?! Why the bloody hell are we meeting that Neanderthal?"

"He called me. He thinks I'm alive." She groaned to herself knowing this wasn't going to be easy. Getting Spike on her side had been complicated enough. She wasn't even fully sure he was on her side all the way. He would do anything for her but that didn't mean he'd do anything she said. Turning her over to the humans was a low blow but getting the chip out seemed to change his mind. Well, she would see after she got him to agree to Angelus. "Besides, we're going to need him."

" _Need_ him?" He scoffed at the air, refusing to move until she took it back. "For what?"

"I told you what I care about."

"Revenge. Right. Got a plan then?"

"It sounds so simple when you say it like that."

"Well if you want to pop 'em off we can go do that now." Cracking his knuckled he smirked and nodded towards the ceiling where the humans were probably out looking for them now. "We'll team up, take them down together."

Buffy looked towards the ceiling as well. The idea was tempting but it wasn't in the plan. Killing them would thrill her for the moment but it wouldn't sustain her. "No. Not good enough. I don't mean just them either. I have my sights set a little higher."

"Alright. Well I'm fully behind you there." He'd had plans to burn the world before. They didn't pan out but that was her fault. Maybe with her by his side, it wouldn't be so unattainable. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Angel. We'll use him."

"And how are we going about using the great ponce? He's not gonna like the whole dead thing you've got going on. He's not exactly going to come skipping with lilacs in his hair."

"No. He's not." She turned back to the dark of the hall and led their way out of the building, Spike fighting her every step of the way. "That's why we need his soul gone."

He stopped completely again and she kept walking so he had to call up to her with his disgust. "You're not gonna sleep with him are you?"

"God no." She gagged and he jogged to catch up, only to stop straight yet again. "That's where you come in."

"What?! You're not expecting _me_ to sleep with him are you?!"

"As entertaining as that thought is, no." She chuckled at his look and continued to walk to the surface. "Magic took the soul out the first time, we can use it again."

"How? The only witch we know-"

"You don't know a single witch? In your old age."

"Hey-" He pouted. "I am not old."

"Yes you're very spry for a hundred something." She nodded sarcastically as she watched the mice scatter at her feet wondering only momentarily how they got into the base in the first place. Did mice live underground?

"Well why do we need him? We can take him down, kill him ourselves. Killing vamps is fun too."

"We need him." Her tone suggested she was done arguing but he was still Spike.

"But why?"

"I said death wasn't good enough for my friends." She was sure to put as much sarcasm as she could into the word 'friends'. She really needed to find something else to call them. "They need to pay."

"Well I can help with that. Always wanted to lay one in on the whelp. Done a good bit of torture in my days. They don't call me Spike for nothing."

"And who did you learn from?"

"Oh please, Angelus didn't teach me nothing. I did it all on my own."

"Sure you did." Buffy chuckled at his childlike behavior before leading them both down the last tunnel. "Well Angelus has a certain flare that I'm looking for. I was on the receiving end once before. I want that."

"I can do that." He mumbled pathetically like a kid watching his girl swoon over the local jock.

"Spike just stop arguing. You'll get to play too. Okay?" She felt like she really was talking to a kid as she opened up the hatch to the outside world and jumped out, listening to Spike climb out behind her as she sniffed the air and allowed her eyes to roam over the city lights below. They wouldn't have long left in the night before the sun would start to rise and they needed to get out of town before it did.

"Um Buffy-" Spike came up behind her as she started walking into town again, intent on following her nose and getting a real meal for once. "It's- Well Dawn had nothing to do with you being pulled back you know? She and I didn't know a think about it. She was-"

"Just as clueless as ever. I know. She's not a part of this. I don't wish to kill her. I don't exactly want her alive though. Don't worry. I have plans for her," She cheerfully stated as they found the clearest path into the trees.

"Do you really think she'll let you change her?" He didn't really like the idea too much. Dawn had clearly grown on him and while eternal life had its perks, there was a reason he hadn't suggested it sooner. It was Buffy's plan though and if it meant Dawn got to avoid the torture that she had in store for the others, then maybe it was for the best. Buffy would get her way no matter what and he wasn't in the mood to argue just after having turned her in to the humans. He was more in the mood to eat for the first time in far, far too long.

"When I'm done, I'm sure she'll be begging for it."

"I thought you said you wouldn't hurt her."

"Not physically. Hence, Angel."

"Angelus is a real ass you know."

"I'm aware." She laughed again at his stupid behavior as she continued to weave in and out of trees. "You two will just have to play nice for a while. Once they're all out of the way, I have something else in mind."

Clearing the trees they both looked out at the small field separating them from the people walking by. A look was shared between them before they both darted off at vampiric speed, chasing the closest source of grub; The Bronze.


	11. Who Do You Want To Be Your First?

The girls reached the shop without any surprise attacks and set to work immediately. Dawn hung around the table as Tara and Willow got the supplies and Anya waited to grab the book Giles asked for.

Tara had left to check on Dawn but when she came back she found Willow curled up on the floor with her hands clutching at her hair and sobs wracking her body. "Willow? Baby, what's wrong?" She ran over and scooped her into her arms, Willow automatically falling into the embrace with her head resting on Tara's shoulder.

It was all Willow could do not to break down at the house, on the way to the crypt, or on the walk to the shop. Standing there and actually thinking about why she was getting a tracking spell together was what did it. She couldn't find it in her knees to stand anymore and once she let one tear through, the rest just kept coming. She started rocking, just like she did when she realized her spell to get Buffy's soul went wrong. Of course it went wrong. She couldn't do anything right lately. She sobbed even harder when the salty tears ran down her cheek and made the cut sting. She could still feel Buffy's tongue sliding over her face, her vampire eyes drilling into her, telling her the truth. This was all her fault.

"I thought I was saving her. I thought I was helping. I thought she was in hell. I thought she'd want to be taken out."

"You didn't know." Tara pushed the hair out of Willow's face and rocked with her body, keeping a tight grip and willing the others to stay back for a time.

"It doesn't make it any better. I was so sure but really I was selfish. I just wanted her back."

"We all did. It wasn't just you."

"But I didn't even consider…I didn't even think…"

"I know." She kissed the top of her head and tried to calm her more but Willow just kept sobbing. "None of us did."

What she wouldn't do to take the guilt away. She hated to see Willow so broken and she knew there wasn't a way to pick up the pieces. Only helping Buffy would help Willow and that meant getting the spell done. But she couldn't have Willow doing magic in this state. She couldn't even begin to think of what would happen if they couldn't help her at all. Willow needed to come out of this unbroken and she would be by her side, hold her hand, and tell her it would be alright like she always did. She would be there for her till the end.

Dawn moved towards the sound of the sobbing, intent on asking Willow if she was alright, but as soon as she saw her there she couldn't find the words. She didn't really know who to blame and everyone seemed like a good target. Willow did say it though, she was the one who did the spell. Maybe it really was all her fault.

"Dawn?" Tara called out to the still figure as Willow wiped the tears from her face. "How are you holding up?"

"My sister is a vampire without a soul and someone I trusted tried to kill her today. How do you think?"

"Giles was just trying to help." Tara tried to defend him but really she wasn't in the room. The two of them only heard about this through the accusations of the others and what they heard through the walls. She just didn't want everyone turning on each other.

"By driving a stake through her heart?" Dawn looked around at the other girls as Anya came away from behind the counter and walked towards them. "It's not like any of you did anything either," she continued to accuse them all.

"What were we supposed to do Dawn?"

"I don't know. Magic out! Make it work! Not let him kill her! What did you do to try and stop him?"

"I was drained okay." Willow used Tara to sit up taller, still not ready to stand. "Trying to reach her soul took the magic out of me and I didn't have much power left."

"You could have-"

"She was in shock Dawn." Tara cut her off and wrapped an arm over her love. "She still is."

"Yeah and you were holding me back in my room. If I was there I could have stopped him. I could have convinced her to stay."

"Buffy doesn't have a soul Dawn." Anya stated as she walked into view of the girls on the ground. "She wouldn't listen to you. She doesn't care."

"And how do you know that Anya? You ever lose your soul? You don't know."

"I was a demon myself for a very long time. The demon takes you over. I didn't lose mine but in the same way but..."

"Still don't have one." Dawn spat at her, too mad at everyone to control what she was actually saying. "I still could have done something. I can't believe Xander just let Giles-"

"Xander wasn't going to let Buffy die." Willow defended her long-term friend as Dawn's rampage continued.

"Then why did he pull you away? Why did he leave the room?"

"Because he saw Spike." Anya spoke for Willow. "Spike told Xander and I that he would never let anything happen to Buffy as long as a tiny bit of her was left. Like Giles said, he wasn't going to let anything happen to her."

"And Xander just knew that? Cus he would just trust Spike."

"Yes actually. He did." Anya wasn't sure if that was really trust that allowed Xander to leave Spike as the barrier between Buffy and Giles but if it made Dawn believe Xander didn't want Buffy dead then fine. It was true though, they all knew, every one of them, that as long as Spike was there to do something about it Buffy wouldn't be in any harm.

In a moment of silence Dawn calmed herself down and sunk to the ground with the other girls, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Spike was the one to help her. One of us should have helped him. I should have been there."

"Spike had been helping her already. He was the only one to know. But know we know and we are too." Tara said as Anya decided to join them on the ground, for the sake of it if nothing else.

"By trapping her?" Dawn banged her head against the frame and closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up from this nightmare. She just wanted to be home with her sister, watching movies and eating popcorn. She didn't want any of this. She didn't want to make these decisions.

"It's better than what Spike's did." Anya said thinking of all the possibilities. "Vampires running off together. He'll do anything she wants too. God knows what they're doing."

"He still has the chip though." Tara said, sitting up straighter and leaning against the shelves at a better position. "It's not like he can hurt anyone."

"No, but she can." Willow spoke while running her hands through her hair to get it back into place as her puffy eyes adjusted. "Giles was right. She will if she gets the chance." Guilt slammed into her and Tara was right back there again to run a hand down her arm and weave their fingers together, being her rock like always.

"Maybe Spike won't let her." Dawn said watching the couple across the room. Buffy would be the one to comfort her. Not that everyone else wouldn't try but Buffy was always best at it.

"How is he going to stop her?" Willow spoke up again, some anger starting to fuel her words. She couldn't help remembering the accusations Spike threw at her in the Summers house. He knew then, he knew all along and he didn't say anything. Dawn was making him out to be much more innocent than he was. Willow knew his dark side better than her. Dawn didn't even exist when Spike had threatened her life the first time, or the second, or the third, or...well it happened a lot. Dawn only saw the chipped side of him, she didn't know. "Look I know you and Spike grew close but he's still a vampire. He's still a demon. We are better help to her than he is. We'll find her and we'll find a way. There has to be some of her left. She's not gone. I mean…she didn't eat us after all."

"She wanted to. She licked you."

"Not helping Anya."

"Just saying."

"So let's move on and figure out where to put her when we find her." Willow suggested as they all moved a bit closer and prepared themselves for a thinking session. "For all we know the boys may get lucky."

"Well we do have the basement." Dawn suggested. "The plumber is fixing it tomorrow so it won't be flooded."

"What will we keep her with?" Anya asked. "And Spike. I think we should assume we should lock him up too."

"Yeah he's more punch first, ask questions later." Willow agreed. "He won't listen to us until we have something to fix Buffy."

"Okay so basement?" Tara asked.

"Basement." Willow nodded in thought. "I'm sure we have chains and things but will that hold her? She got out of the ones from earlier."

"With Spike's help." Anya reminded.

"She could probably do it too. Think of what Giles said. She's a slayer and a vampire. That strength combined has to be brutal."

"Alright so maybe not the basement." Dawn said while thinking. "Where else does the sun not shine?"

"Underground?" Tara suggested. "Sewers?"

"Ew." Dawn crinkled her nose in disagreement. "I don't think it's better than the basement though. What happens if they get loose? They could go anywhere."

"Caves?" Anya jumped at her thought. "Don't we have some of those in the desert or something?"

"That might be good." Tara agreed. "The sun would keep them inside."

"How do we keep them in a cave?" Dawn asked.

"Well that's what we're here to research." Willow nodded towards the other half of the store where they would probably be if it wasn't for her sobbing in the corner.

"I wish there was something else closer." Dawn grumbled. "Not to be picky but sleeping in a cave doesn't exactly sound fun."

"Well I don't think there's anything else." Willow said, thinking out loud. "I mean the only thing that kept Spike locked up was- Oh my god."

"What?" Tara asked as Willow leapt up with excitement at whatever idea she came up with.

"The Initiative! Do you think their cells would work still?"

"Maybe." Anya said, mostly doubtful. "If we could turn the power back on. And if they're not damaged."

"It kept Spike in there before, maybe we could use them?" Willow asked the room excitedly and no one had any other reason to object.

"The boys will have to check it out." Tara said as she pulled the phone from her pocket and placed it in Willow's hand to make the call. At least they had some sort of a plan forming.

* * *

Standing at the front of The Bronze was unlike anything Buffy had ever felt before. The music was thumping, drumming the non-existent heart in her chest, the lights were flashing, and the blood was pumping. Everywhere she looked she could smell it, feel it swirling around her ears. She could taste it in the air, all those hormones and all that adrenaline, all that blood. She wanted to dive right in and soak it all up right down that burning in her throat. She wanted it all.

Spike was there to remind her that she couldn't actually have it all without making a big fuss and they weren't ready for that quite yet. He led her by the hand in through the front doors as he fought his own urges to kill. Still he was able to keep her back as he led her to the back and to the side, a dark corner rarely used for anything but make-out sessions and hands roaming under clothes.

"Who do you want Buffy?" Spike turned towards her, his body creating a barrier between her and the crowd so she wouldn't lose herself to quick. He wanted her to enjoy this. "Who do you want to be your first? Anyone you want and I'll get them for you. The choice is yours."

With a moan Buffy closed her eyes and let her instincts take over. Her body seemed to move on its own as the demon broke out of its shell and ruled her mind. With her hand still on Spike she was moving towards the dance floor where off to the corner she saw a young couple. They were grinding and bumping, her ass sliding against his dick to the beat of the song as his hands slipped under her shirt and clawed at her skin. Both of them were too drunk to even stand steady with the movements they were making. They were easy prey.

"Let's dance with them." Buffy led the way to the corner of the dance floor and started to move with the music, Spike still stuck by her side. He took the opportunity to slide behind her and put his hands on her hips, letting her guide him to the pace she wanted to set. She could always move her body well and soon they took off with the humans dancing around them and inched their way to the drunk couple in the corner.

As the song moved on, Spiked moved his hands higher, pulling her body closer as his reacted in the only way expected. His arousal started to poke her in the back but if she cared she didn't say anything. He grabbed hold of the sides of her stomach as she wrapped a hand around his neck and brought his head down closer. He leaned in with a mouth open, ready to land on the bare flesh of her un-dead neck when she talked over her shoulder and over the music at him. "Do you want the boy or girl?"

With a slight sigh of disappointment that she probably heard with her senses he leaned in closer. "You're choice love." He murmured back in her ear, his lips touching the curve of her lobe instead of her neck, as they continued to sway. "Just choose soon. I don't think I'll last much longer out here."

"Don't have much stamina, do you?" He rolled his eyes at her joke but she continued to talk before he could say 'get a move on'. "I don't know which one I'll like more do I? Boy or girl? Girl or boy?" She bit her lip as her body rolled back and her nails slipped across the back of Spike's neck. She was feeling far too much and while she joked about Spike's stamina, she didn't have much of her own. Thinking of what just that tiny drop of Willow's blood did, she knew she wanted more. She didn't care anymore. She needed it. Now. She turned back to Spike, her face bending up and her mouth jumping against his jaw, any thoughts of the position they were in far from her mind as she glanced at the couple she was about to eat. The hormones she was smelling almost seemed to affect her as she grabbed Spike's leg to pull him closer. She wanted to know what would happen when she drank them too. "Share?"

He nodded from behind and she felt it as the stubble from his chin rubbed against the side of her face. That was all she needed before she was briskly leading him over to the couple. Her body felt like it was on fire (not in the bad way) the closer she got. This was it, this was the moment she always wanted.

Just as she neared the couple they were stumbling their way into the alley and Buffy was thanking whatever was willing to listen to her for her dumb luck. They followed them out and sure enough they were making out by the dumpster, the girl slammed against the wall as he tried to hold her up. There were few other people out, some smoking by the end of the alley but they weren't paying much attention.

There wasn't any time for witty remarks or jokes with Buffy. The minute she was close enough to smell their blood and the alcohol swimming inside she was gone. She was pretty sure he was trying to undo his pants at the time she sunk her teeth into his neck. She didn't much care about it. Spike's hand ended up still being in hers and he had been dragged along with her in her attempt to get to the blood. The girl pressed up against the brick of the wall with her pants halfway down her legs was too gone to even notice, she just kept calling out for the boy. Spike put a stop to the quick as he wrapped around Buffy and her kill and sank his fangs into the young girl.

Buffy couldn't stop herself. She knew she said she would share with Spike and she meant it at the time but as she sank her teeth down and pierced the soft skin of the teen, she was lost. Red blood swooshed out of the wound and into her mouth and she sucked and sucked and sucked, pulling harder and harder on his body, not even noticing she was pulling Spike's hand with her into his body. Willow was her first taste but that was a drop. This was everything and it was filling her and it felt so good, so complete. Her body sang as the adrenaline flowed and the power filled her up. Her mind went on overload and she lost herself to the demon that was caressing every part of her that needed touching. Too soon it was gone and just as she thought she couldn't take any more pleasure, the body slumped under her. She drank him all.

When she pulled her eyes open she quickly let go of Spike so she could swipe her hands over her chin and pick up any bits of blood she missed, licking them from her fingers. She saw Spike still enjoying his meal but when she let go of his hand he turned around to see what happened.

She had a hell of a grip on him when she was riding through that kill. Of course he didn't expect any different for a new vamp and it was a miracle she even lasted as long as she did. She chose a hell of a human. Drinking blood was fine with anyone but she chose drunk, hormone driven teens. They always were a favorite of his. The girl under him was giving him a magnificent high and he could hardly stand taking his time with her but it was worth it for him. His body craved so much after so long, he wasn't willing to throw it away in the few seconds he could.

"What happened to sharing?" He joked as he looked at the dead boy on the ground and Buffy finished licking her fingers.

"Oops." She said with a perfectly innocent smile that made him want to do everything the opposite of innocent to wipe it off. He growled instead and turned back to his human where he finished her off with a groan and sent her to the floor.

Buffy watched the girl fall but knew there was no point in licking the wounds. Spike would have drank absolutely everything. He didn't even get any on his chin. She wanted more though.

As she started to walk towards the club again she stumbled and started to giggle as Spike caught her with one arm. She looked around herself and noticed as the alley started to spin a bit and Spike's face seemed to get closer and farther and closer. "Am I drunk?" She laughed out loud as she said it, trying to pick herself up but failing.

"Partially. You are such a lightweight." He joked as he pulled her back into the club and stood her up against the wall, pulling out a cigarette. She motioned she wanted one too and he gave it to her as they both leaned back and stared at the human crowd. "It's the alcohol in their blood plus the high of the kill. It'll really get you going."

"I love it." She sighed as she eyed another couple of teens across the room. "Them?" She pointed and Spike followed her finger.

"Last ones. Then we really gotta get going. Don't need you drunk and facing the Scoobies if they wise up and check this place out."

"Fine." She blew smoke in his face. "Last ones." She took his hand again and led him to the dance floor, weaving them in and out of the people, set on getting at their prey. "But I get the girl this time." She smirked at him as he smirked back and they picked up to the beat of the music, swaying, watching, hunting.

* * *

"I never thought we would see this place again." Xander flashed the light around the dark halls of the Initiative, looking out of the corner of his eye for any movement. All there seemed to be were mice and spiders. Icky spiders. He didn't like spiders.

"I don't think any of us did." Giles answered as he looked around with his own light. The call was a godsend for the two of them. Giles had expected Xander to lash out at him for even mentioning killing Buffy, let alone actually almost acting on it, but Xander had remained quiet. He was apparently too mad to talk. The call at least gave them a purpose, though it did steal them away from town right before they were about to check the area around The Bronze.

"That's weird." As they moved into the main area where they remembered the majority of the fighting taking place, everything seemed to be illuminated. "The lights are on."

"It seems someone had stopped by recently."

"Do you think…?"

"The Initiative has returned? Doubtful."

"Or Spike and Buffy could have…"

"No. I doubt it." Giles returned his light to his pocket as he adjusted his glasses and peeked out over the rail. "We could always stick around to find out."

"Not until we get more weapons. Or a plan."

"Let's check the cells first." Giles led the way to the stairs leading down. "No need to waist a visit."

"Sure. Um Giles…" Giles stopped his decent and turned to face him. "About before. I wasn't about to let you kill Buffy either. I just wanted to make that known. I just thought a witch going through shock wouldn't go down so well."

"I understand." Giles nodded, appreciating the calm tone rather than the lashing he was expecting. "And know killing Buffy would be the last thing I would want to do. But you of all people, having been around a slayer so long, should understand that she is already dead."

"I just think we should give the girls a chance."

"Yes. I understand your reasoning. But I've been around magic and I've been a watcher for a very long time. All my life. I meant what I said. I do not see her surviving this."

Xander nodded with a frown, not really comforted by Giles' words. "I'd just be careful saying that stuff around Dawn. She won't want to hear it. None of us really do."

"True." Giles agreed as he led the way down the steps and to the level with the cells. He hoped this would work like the kids expected it too. He wished he had their optimism.

* * *

The rest of the night had been fun for Buffy and Spike. Pure fun. Buffy thrived in her first kill and Spike swallowed up as much as he could get before they had to head out of town. He stole a car, Porsche (finally), and drove them through the night until they couldn't risk the sun anymore. They found an abandoned house by the road, to the disappointment of both of them. They were really hoping for another reason to kill but it just wasn't going to happen that night.

They both slept through until the sun dove beneath the sky again and Spike was able to buy supplies to make the car drivable during the day. They didn't have to travel too far though. They stopped by a demon bar in one of the towns, drinking and smoking and Buffy keeping up on her poker teachings, and there they met someone that actually had some useful information.

They learned of a gypsy in town that would be willing to help them for the right price and so they headed there the same night. Her name was Florica and she looked straight up stereotypical. She had the dress, the jewels, the scarf, and even the henna tattoos. As soon as they were invited into her home they could see the anti-vampire defenses resting like nick-knacks on the walls and they knew this wasn't her first rodeo. Still, Buffy was confident as she explained what she wanted done as Spike mumbled to himself, grumpy about Angel getting involved, liking Buffy all to himself. He'd rather they went out dancing again. Well, he couldn't really call what they were doing dancing.

Florica didn't seem to have an opinion when Buffy finished so she slumped into the couch along side Spike and asked plain out. "So? You gonna help or not?"

"Steal the soul from vampire's body?" Florica eyed the two of them, knowing what they were and how dangerous the spell would be. "What's in it for me?"

"You'll not die." Spike offered, lighting up a cigarette. "For one."

"Two, you can keep it." Buffy continued as she took it from his mouth and started sucking on it herself. "He won't be needing it after we get it out."

"Why would I be wanting his soul?" Florica asked even though the temptation was there. There was great risk in this spell, especially if the vampires decided to turn on her, not that she wouldn't have precautions set out, but having a soul would increase her power tenfold. She could sell it for money or use it herself. It was pure power and she hadn't heard of anyone owning one. At least not one that was pure. And there was the problem. The vampire's soul wouldn't be pure.

Buffy could smell Florica's blood pumping and hear her heart quickening at the thought of a soul. Obviously she was just jerking them around for a bit. Buffy wasn't wrong in assuming that kind of power would be exactly what this black market gypsy was looking for. "You're telling me you don't have any voodoo magicy wishy washy that requires a soul?"

"True, a soul holds power but that depends on the soul. A human soul trapped in vampire will be damaged. What would I do with a tainted soul?"

"Fine." Buffy sighed as she handed the cigarette back to Spike who tipped the ash out into what looked like a vase of some sort. "What do you want then?"

"An undamaged soul." Florica challenged, though honestly even the damaged one would do. "A human soul willingly given."

"I think I have someone in mind." Buffy answered confidently as she slid back into the couch.

Spike shifted to face her, completely confused by her attitude. "You do? Who do you know that's gonna give up their soul willingly?"

"Don't worry about it." Buffy spat back at him with a look to shut him up before turning back to Florica. "It's a deal."

"Shake in blood." Florica slipped a small blade out from under the table and held it up. The casing was fitted with many jewels and even had a dragon carved into it. The blade itself was slightly curved and extremely sharp and Buffy didn't miss the whistle Spike gave at the sight of it. It was pretty cool looking.

Buffy stared at the knife poised over the human's hand, her demon already jumping to take it from her and slide it over her neck and drink like it was a waterfall. Of course she couldn't do that, she was using her to get Angel's soul out. No death for her. Not quite yet.

"Blood isn't really mine." Buffy held up her arm with a shrug, not sure how all this magic stuff worked. That was always Willow. "Borrowed really."

"Works all the same." Florica answered as she brought the knife to her hand and whispered the words to a binding spell.

Buffy jumped at the smell of blood but ignored it and held out her hand for the knife, taking it in her fist but Spike stopped her before she could bring the point to her palm. "You sure you want to do this pet? Agreements made over blood can't be broken easily. Especially with, well, us. Bloods kinda important with the whole needing it thing."

"I'm sure." Buffy answered as she swiped the blade and brought the blood she had in her system forward. Holding out her hand she could hear the other woman mumbling words she didn't understand but she didn't really feel like asking what she was saying. She grabbed her hand and felt the energy pour off the gypsy and into her palm, a heat surrounding their hands in a way that buckled her knees. It was too hot. Much too hot. She just knew she was going to catch fire.

Then it was all over and Florica brought her hand away and to her chest where she could be sure the vampires wouldn't latch on so easy. "There."

"Alright now come with us. Spike, give me your cell. I'm calling Angel."

"Now?"

"Yeah now. My friends are probably already on their way to figuring out where we are. Need to stop them before they get the chance."

"Fine." Spike reached around his pocket and fiddled with his phone before handing it to her. "He's under Peaches."

"Peaches?" Buffy scoffed and waited for the explanation behind that. It seemed almost like a pet name if she didn't know any better. Then again Spike did tend to give those out to everyone. He must have called Angel that before but to put it in his phone?

"Cus he's soft and bruises easily and-"

"Okay whatever. What if I call you Peaches? Peaches." Spike gave her a nasty glare that just made her smile wider as the gypsy picked up the items she needed for the spell and Spike led the way to the car while Buffy made the call.

The phone rang a few times before the call was ignored so Buffy tried again. Then again. Then again. Finally Angel stopped ignoring, picked up the phone and yelled through the line. "Spike? Why the hell are you-"

"Angel it's me." Buffy put on her _happy-go-lucky-I'm-human_ voice as Spike loaded the gypsy into the car and jumped into the driver's seat. He still hadn't let her take her turn behind the wheel. She would have to fix that.

"Buffy?" On cue Angel's voice deflated to that of worry and love. "What are you doing on Spike's phone?"

"Borrowed." Buffy muttered before raising her voice to an innocent sounding tone. "Can you leave now?"

"Now? Um…"

"Meet me halfway. I just really need to see you." The mocking Spike did in the mute form of a pathetic version of herself did not go unnoticed as he mouthed everything she said in an overacting manner to the mirror. She shoved him hard and his head hit the window but at least he stopped. "There's a restaurant. Toby's Pizza and Wings. Meet there?"

"Yeah. Okay. I'll leave now. Just let me tell everyone I'm going."

"Okay. I'll see you there."

"Okay. And Buffy-"

"Yeah?"

"Spike's not coming is he?"

Buffy turned to Spike who was glaring over at her and she nodded her head yes as she answered, "No."

"Alright. See you soon."

"Yup. Bye." Buffy hung up the phone and threw it over to the driver in disgust before rolling down her window and speaking to the car as Spike slammed on the gas. "Let's get this show on the road."


	12. Toby's Pizza and Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I switched my notes up a bit so if anything doesn't make sense tell me please because I know hinting at Buffy having a plan without saying what it is while simultaneously being obvious about it is probably getting confusing. Or annoying. So sorry. (so, so sorry)

Toby's was really in the middle of nowhere. It was off one of those long roads in the middle of the desert that only the locals and truckers would go to. Only a single streetlamp lit the parking lot, showing it filled with the cars from the people inside.

They sat on the opposite side of the lot, backed into the shadow of the building with their eyes pinned on the road. Even in the car Buffy could smell everyone inside. Their blood swam around the grease of the pizza and spices of the wings in the most delightful way, making her mouth water. They hadn't fed since The Bronze and she really needed something in her system. The thumping heart of the human in the back didn't help much at all.

"I'm getting wings." Spike broke her out of her silence as he sniffed the air and reclined in his seat, giving a careless smile towards the backseat of the car where Florica was sitting. She didn't really give a reaction, just looked out for any sign of the third vampire she would deal with that night, wondering why she put up with their species for the millionth time in the past hour.

"You can't get wings till after Angel's soul is gone." Buffy reminded him as she leaned her head out the window to try and listen for any cars coming up. Angel was taking all the fucking time in the world.

"But he'll hog them all! Pig that he is." He slumped further into the seat and rhythmically started tapping on the steering wheel out of habit. "Actually he'll be too busy trying to find a way to make his kills ironic towards the pizza or something. Arrange them like their peperoni or whatever. He always was a loosey type with the irony. Poof."

"Well last I checked, you were the pig. And just eat the wings while he's eating the people."

"Aren't you gonna want your taste?"

"I never really liked wings."

"Of the people."

"Oh. Of course."

"And what do you mean you don't like wings?! What's wrong with you?"

"Spicy food. Yuck." She crinkled her face to match her disgust and Spike scoffed in her direction. "It just tastes like my mouth is on fire. Gross."

"Pansy."

"Hey!"

"Oh yeah right, not a pansy. Just scared of a bit of food is all."

"I'll make you scared of a bit of food."

"And what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means….shut up Spike."

"You're sexy when you pout."

"You're sexy when you don't talk."

"Ooooh, bring out the duct tape."

"Keep it up and I'll tape you to the car. No wings for you. Or teens."

"Come on, who else is gunna be eating at a pizza spot but teens?"

"I'm sure they'll be some lovely grandparents in there for you."

"God no. Save those for Angelus. Taste like dust and blood medication they do."

Florica listened to the conversation happening in front of her with her eyes darting between the two vamps like a tennis match. These two were just ridiculous. Most vamps had attitude problems revolving around flirting about/with death but the underlying sexual tension in the front seat was just too much to bear. At least they were too busy bickering to see her eyes roll behind her lids.

Another glance out the windshield and they could see a dark car with harshly tinted windows pulling up next to the light across the lot. Angel's spiked hair could be seen first as he pushed the door open and rounded to the front of the car where he looked around and pulled out his phone, intent on calling Buffy bout their meeting. She hadn't said to meet inside but at least he was smart enough to know to call first. Knowing the way their sappy conversations usually went he was probably expecting the meeting to only last a couple of minutes and it would definitely not be a meeting meant for others to hear, arguments pending.

Buffy grinned and reached for the door handle before Spike stopped her with a question. "How're you gonna handle the whole…undead thing?" He made a random gesture over her body before leaning back down in the seat so Angel wouldn't see him. "Poncey won't like it when he finds out."

"You didn't know when you first saw me."

"I was in shock! He's had time to think it over you know."

"Well I'll just distract him a bit." She grabbed the top of her tank, glad that vamps didn't have the necessity to change often due to their differences in human biology. Curving the side of her nail into the harsh dip of the top she pulled at the fabric and separated the threads, ripping it down her center and dipping the neckline even further. "There. Distracting enough?"

"Oh." She glanced up at the other vamp who had his eyes glazed over, completely locked on her uncovered chest. "Um… What?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Actually you may want to even take this down." He leaned over a bit more and pulled the threads even further apart, stripping the shirt down even more to the point where the curves of her bra were visible over the top. He smirked and adjusted the shirt as he went, sure to get it perfect while making sure to slide his hands around as much area as possible. "There you go."

"Any excuse to touch my boobs."

"Pretty much. Yeah." He released her with a wink before she turned back to the gypsy who already had her bag in hand and was waiting to open the door. She had a look on her face like she had been waiting for a moment to run out of the car and that just made Buffy want to laugh. If she cared about the poor little human she might have been concerned about how annoyed she must have been with the two of them, her magical powers a threat. Worried she wasn't though.

"You have your voodoo ready?"

"It's not voodoo." Florica spat back as she opened the door and moved behind the car to set up.

"Whatever. You good to go?"

"I will be soon." She started to lay out the ingredients in a way that was vaguely familiar, flashbacks of Willow setting up coming to mind, before she turned back towards Buffy with a nod.

"Kay. Here goes nothing." Buffy shook off the memories of Willow's eyes glazing over, chanting words she didn't understand, all to bring a soul back to her body, to ruin her even more than she already was, and focused. Readjusting her top she walked out from the car and started to pass under the light.

Angel was quick to notice her as soon as her blonde hair started shining under the lamp. "Buffy." He gasped and looked her over, surprised at how well she actually looked. Her body was the same, she held the same lively walk, and she was just as pretty as ever. Really the only thing different was how low that top was. Wow that was low.

The staring contest he was having with her boobs did not go unnoticed. "Angel." Sniffing the air she could smell that bit of difference that vampires seemed to give off, that something that smelled like wet wood to her when she first came out of the ground. If she thought about it she would say it was the smell the blood left behind. She didn't really care to think about it though, she was much more focused on the good blood, not the used up kind.

If she focused hard enough she could feel something more just beneath the surface. Spike gave off power in waves in everything he did but Angel was much more reserved about it. Still, it was there and she wanted it more than anything. The soul was just in the way. "Wow."

"I just can't…" He moved into the light and met her under the lamp, his arms handing by his side and his mouth hanging open. "You're back…I don't know what….how?"

"Willow." Buffy smiled, clamping her teeth down. A bubble of hatred always seemed to spring up whenever she thought about her. "A little spell here, little chanting there, and bingo. Buffy."

"She…I can't…how are you?"

"I'm fine. Or at least I will be."

"What do you mean?" He looked her over and around the parking lot again. Everything seemed fine, she seemed fine, why would she not be fine? Well Buffy was rarely fine-fine but she was usually fine.

God he was a mess.

Was it emotional? Did she want something more? Was this going to be another one of _those_ talks? He didn't know how many more times they could never see each other again.

"I didn't call you here because I wanted to see you Angel." That caught his attention straight away and he stopped looking around like a mad man and started looking at her like he was utterly confused. Not much difference really. "I called you here because I wanted to see…well _better_ is really a matter of opinion." The light from the lamp grew ever so slightly brighter as they continued to talk. "So...your stronger half."

"Buffy I don't-"

"Take a moment Angel. Look at me." She stepped back from his far-too-close proximity and threw her arms open in the light. "Am I really the Buffy that you know and love?"

"What?" He sputtered as he tried to suss out the expectations of this meeting with what was really happening.

_The Buffy that you know and love-_ was this some kind of game or something? Was she trying to be funny? Or was it worse than that? Already he started thinking the worst in his head. Maybe it wasn't Buffy standing in front of him. Maybe it was an imposter, a monster, someone sent by Wolfram and Hart. Looking at her, it didn't make sense. She didn't seem any different. He still felt that pull to her he always did in her presence, the love that was always there no matter how much he tried to get rid of it. He chuckled in his confusion, looking around again as if the shadows would give him the answers. "I don't-"

"Try a little harder." She snapped, letting her eyes twinkle gold for a moment before throwing her hands on her hips. Really this was taking too long. She looked over her shoulder towards the car but couldn't see anything. If Florica was messing this up on purpose she was going to have her for an appetizer. More likely Spike was messing it up though. He would just love to stall this.

While Buffy was busy glaring at the cars, Angel had his eyes fixed on her. "No." That couldn't have been gold in her eyes. That was just a trick of the light, nothing more. Yet when he sniffed the air and listened for her heart, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. He did it again, stopping absolutely everything, his own constant reflex breathing and all shuffling, but all he could hear were the sounds from inside the diner. Another look over Buffy and he could tell, there was absolutely nothing. That could only mean one thing. "No! You can't be!"

"Oh but I am." His face fell and she smiled wider, slowly letting her fangs fall into place as he slowly started to fall apart.

"No." He shook his head and grabbed her arms, shaking her as he spoke, wishing he was having a nightmare. "Buffy think. We can get Willow. Get you a soul like she did me. We can-"

"Oh they tried. Seems magic doesn't work on me. There's no going back now."

"Cordelia's vision." He muttered, looking over his shoulder towards his car. "She said…but I didn't think…"

"Cordy?" Buffy perked up and pushed on his arms to try and get a better peek over his shoulder. "Is she here?"

"Buffy we can fix this." He grabbed her tighter, holding her to him in a way that would bruise most humans. He never had to worry about that with her though. "We can find a way-"

"But I don't want to. See, I rather like it this way. I have plans for this new unlife of mine." She grabbed his face in her hands and made him look at her so she could see just how broken he was. "Plans you happen to be a part of."

"Buffy I can help you." He grabbed her hands from his face and held them in his own, begging her to listen to reason. "Let me help you."

"Let me help you." She mocked, twisting his hands back and making him squirm in pain until he was on his knees in the dirt. "Whine, whine, whine." He looked up at her from his kneeling position but she continued before he could beg any more. He really was pathetic sometimes. "Doesn't matter. The only help I'll get from you will come from Angelus."

He shook his head again and again, realizing what she meant. "No." Suddenly a burst of pain hit his chest and he crippled even more under Buffy's hold. "Buffy don't!" She let go and stepped back to watch him squirm as the light from the lamp above above continued to flare brighter and brighter. "Stop this!"

"Angel!" A tiny worried voice came out of the distance and soon the small figure of Cordelia Chase could be seen jogging up to their position and falling to her boss' side. "Angel! What's going on? What's wrong?! Buffy what's happening?!"

"Hey there Cordy." Buffy smiled, enjoying her luck in having her former schoolmate within biting distance, her heart pumping double time as the adrenaline kicked in and the fear started to creep around the edges. "Oh nothing much."

"Cordelia, get out of here," Angel managed to spit out some words between his moaning and clawing at the dirt. "Now!"

"Ohhhh I don't think so." Buffy crouched down in front of him and pouted so he could see. "She's not going anywhere. Spike!"

Spike came running over to the light at the same time calling out "I thought I wasn't invited-" as Angel called out "I thought he wasn't coming-". Buffy gave both boys a look and while turned away Cordelia took Angel's advice and sprinted in the opposite direction. She wasn't even smart enough to run for the car or the diner, she just started running away. Well she probably didn't have the keys and it wasn't like some humans were going to be able to stop them anyway.

"I lied." Buffy directed at Angel in answer to his statement before calling to the other vamp. "Spike can you do me a favor. Get Cordelia back here."

"Sure thing pet." He started to walk away before turning on his heels. "Though I hope you know I won't be taking all your ordering around lying down. I'm not-"

"Yes, yes. Macho macho man. Just go get her."

"Oh Cordelia!" Spike grinned and started mocking, chasing after the young and helpless girl. "Come be a good girl now won't you? We haven't seen each other in so very long. How's about a little reunion huh?"

"AH!" Angel gave another rather pitiful shout from another bit of magically induced pain, lasting much longer than what he remembered when he lost his soul before. He grabbed out around him and landed his hand on Buffy's ankle, his fingers latching onto her boots. "No. No Buffy please. You don't understand. What will happen. Please!"

"Sorry Angel. You're as good as dead." She rested a hand on his head before pushing him further into the dirt and standing without a care. "Bye I guess."

"Buffy!" Another high pitched scream escaped his lips as the light above burned brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. In a giant pop the light blew and an entirely different light flew from Angel's face, through the air, and back towards the car she left Florica at.

Seconds ticked by before the lump figure on the ground burst up into a standing position and yelled. "Whoa! Well that took long enough. Hello lover."

"Oh don't start with the lover shit again." Buffy rolled her eyes but she couldn't help smiling at the high improvement of vampire in front of her, the waves of energy just crashing off of him.

"Well just look at you!" Angelus walked forwards with the condescending and excited tone he always had. "The slayer all grown up. Undead just like the best of us. A slayer becoming a vampire. That is poetry. Who did it? Was it you Spike?" Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw Cordy limp in Spike's arms, blood trickling from her forehead, as he walked back towards their little circle. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Shut it!"

Angelus made a show of sniffing the air, noting the smells that mixed together. "And shagging Spike. Wow. Thought you had better taste." He nodded at Buffy who only glared in response. He knew they weren't sleeping together. He was just being an ass like always.

"Buffy, where you want the bint?"

"Oh I'll take her." Angelus held his arms open, his face quickly shifting back into its natural demon form.

"No Angel." Buffy walked in front of him, a hand to stop Spike from passing her over. "No eating Cordy. I have plans for her too."

"First off, don't call me Angel. Secondly, I wasn't just going to eat her. She gets special treatment."

"Oh-ho. Special treatment." Spike mocked him, lifting the girl in his arms closer to his throat as a tease. "What'd she do to you? Bring you the wrong coffee?"

"Oh I don't think so Spike." Buffy turned back with the same mocking tone. "Special treatment reserved for friends of Buffy only."

"Nah, look at him. He's in love with her he is."

"Oh my god you're right! He's in love with her!"

The two of them laughed as Angelus just got angrier and angrier. "Shut up. I'm not in love with her. He is!" He pointed at his skull, clearly coming close to punching either himself or one of them. "It's sickening. Him and his humans are just so-" He made a face of pure disgust before pointing back at the limp girl in anger. "I could have some real fun with her."

"Well put a hold on that till later." Buffy challenged, crossing her arms over her chest unconcerned over Angel falling in love with another girl. Angelus always exaggerated anyway. Plus she didn't really care either way. Angel was dead.

"And who made you boss?" Angelus challenged back. Spike looked between the two and dropped the human in his arms to the dirt, fishing around for a cigarette before the real fight started.

"I did. I'm the one with the plan and I'm the one who can still kick your ass. Both your asses. So you're gonna listen to me."

"Oh a plan really? What're you gonna do? Eat up the mall?"

"Would you shut up and let the girl talk." Spike mumbled over his lighter.

"Oooh Spike coming up on defense." Angelus taunted as Spike blew the smoke he inhaled over at him.

"And if you don't shut it, I'm gonna-"

"Boys. Quit your flirting." Buffy nodded back at Toby's. "Go get some dinner and I'll tell you exactly what I have in mind."

"What'd you want me to do with her?" Spike kicked the unconscious girl on the ground.

"Put her in the trunk. Duct tape and ropes are in back."

"Rope too? Didn't realize you wanted to go full bondage love." Spike smiled in her direction as he picked Cordy off the ground and stomped passed the gypsy on his way to the trunk.

"My work here is done." Florica turned to Buffy, her bag held tightly at her side. Buffy could see a tinge of while light streaming from within, undoubtedly Angel's soul. "I will be expecting your payment or I will return the soul." She nodded down at her bag as she checked out the vampire who the soul belonged to. The way he looked at her made her feel completely uncomfortable and she was far past wanting to leave. She wasn't scared for her life but she did not care to continue with the present company. Especially not before they mass murdered the pizza place.

"Yes, yes. I'm aware." Buffy snapped at her. "Just hold off for a bit. What I have in mind may take a while."

"You have a month or the agreement will be terminated."

"I get it. Go before I eat you." Florica turned and walked off towards the road, intent on hitching a ride either by choice or force just to get out of there. "Alright Toby." Buffy shook her features into their vampire phase and looked towards the diner. "Let's see how good your pizza really is."

"Can't wait to try the local cuisine." Angelus morphed into his vampire form too and they both started to walk towards the front door.

"I heard it's to die for." Spike joined them on flank but they both stopped walking and he ended up bumping straight into Buffy's back.

"Really?" Angelus scoffed before continuing on his own.

"What?" Spike asked, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and looking between them.

" _To die for_?" Buffy continued to look at him like he had three heads before walking on without him. "One too many Spike! Gotta know when to stop."

"I was just doing what you guys-! Oh bollocks." He stamped out his cigarette and thrust his hands into his pockets as he slumped his way behind them. "I see how it is then. Pretty boy comes back and it's a round of kick the Spike again. Stupid slayer falling all over him like-"

"Shut up and come eat!" Buffy yelled at him with the door open, sending the smells of the blood and grease his way, making him speed his way up and shift into his vampire form to match the rest.

The place wasn't too full but it wasn't bad for a weeknight. There were a few families, teens, a few truckers, an old married couple, and the workers. It didn't really matter their age, they all just blended together smelling like dinner.

A trucker was first to see the trio, his mouth falling open and the food from his fork dripping onto the plate. Then a small child asked his parent what they were. Then a teen noticed and made his friends look, one of them whispering; "What the fuck are they?".

"Hello ladies and gentlemen." Buffy called out in a warm greeting as she walked to the back of the diner, it wasn't a very big place. "Boys and girls." She smiled to the children in the center booth and continued to make her way. "I'd like to think we're really going to get to know each other in the next few minutes. I hope you feel the same. See I'm Buffy, the bulky one's Angelus, and the platinum is Spike-"

"Platinum. Why my hair? Is my hair my thing now?"

"We'll start calling you Shiny. It suits you." Angelus smirked as Spike rolled his eyes and walked away, jumping behind the counter.

"Anyway…" Buffy gave them both a glare. "I don't actually have a speech for you. I'm too hungry to care. I just thought you'd want to know our names for when you're begging us to stop."

"Stop?" One of the teens closer to the door asked shakily. "Stop what?"

"This." Angelus quickly grabbed him by the throat and pulled him back to his body, sinking his fangs into the side of his neck and drinking him in two seconds flat before letting him slump to the ground dead. "Oh mama that is good!"

Then all hell broke loose.

Everyone started running for the door that Angelus had blocked off. Spike took out the workers behind the counter before any of them could make their way out the back, punching a few down and even slamming one's face into the grilling oil, burning off his flesh before taking a bite. Buffy attacked from behind, picking off the strangling teens and getting her fill before helping Angelus at the front.

It became fuzzy for who she was actually eating. While the high drove her, all the necks seemed to blur together and it all just tasted so good. There were subtle differences in some of them, some more bitter, some more fearful, some grittier, but she didn't care to keep track.

A few tried to fight back but they were no match for the vampire strength. Buffy held nothing back and when the father of the children tried to hit her, she landed a kick so hard she could hear the crunch of his ribs and it sent him straight over the counter and into Spike's side.

"Watch it!" Spike yelled back from the floor before sinking in his fangs into the man and jumping back over the counter to join the fun.

"You're welcome!" Buffy shouted back before grabbing a woman by the throat and holding her down on the table over the pizza, grabbing a bite of both entrées before turning back. Pizza wasn't all that bad with blood actually.

Angelus was busy fighting his way across the counter with one of the truckers, singing his way to him as he spun every bar stool he passed, one by one. " _Run and hide. Run and hide. Get away from the big bad wolf!_ Is it the teeth? Is that what throws you off? I swear they're not that bad. Here, let me show you." The trucker was dead in almost an instant but his scream could still be heard reverberating off the walls.

The mob had been depleted, their bodies painting the tables red, but there was still one problem. Buffy sniffed the air and nodded towards the bathroom. She tried the door but it was locked, so she knocked. Inside she could hear the muffled sounds of crying and shuffling about.

"Oh I don't know boys." Buffy took a step back and looked at them both. "Should we leave them in there you think?"

"I smell kid." Angelus groaned in the direction of the door. "It's been so long since I had prepubescent."

"Do what you want mate. I'm getting wings." Spike hopped back over the counter and to the cooking area where he greedily eyed a freshly made batch of super spicy extra crunchy chicken wings, complete with someone's blood spattered over the top. Perfection.

"Slayer?" Angelus lifted a brow in her direction and she smiled, bowing and backing away from the door. One kick was all it took to break the lock and show what was inside. The two kids from before were clinging onto their mother's side, shoving their heads under her arms as she grabbed them tighter, making pleas for their lives.

"I'll tell you what," Angelus knelt down in front of her. "We'll let one live. Your choice."

The woman became even more hysterical repeating over and over again, "No please. Not my kids. Please no. No."

"Tick tock. Make a choice."

"No, no, no. My kids. Please no. No."

"Times up." Angelus dragged the mom out of the room, the kids left to grab nothing. He held her up to his body and made her face them, a hand on her throat and an arm around her waist. "Tell them it will be alright." She sobbed out but couldn't do much else. "Tell them!" He yelled but she just continued to cry. "Tell them or I'll make you watch them die."

It took a few gulps but the woman managed to sputter out something similar to "It's okay." As soon as the words left her lips Angelus tossed her in Buffy's direction and she drank her up. Peeking up from the neck she was chewing on, she could see Angelus diving into the bathroom. The screams of the kids were only momentary before silence soon fell after. Buffy dropped the mom and jumped into a booth, shoving another dead body out of the way, and grabbed a slice of greasy cheese pizza and shoved it into her mouth with a groan.

She could get used to this.


	13. Before Sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> flashback - so you are not totally confused.

"Spike's not coming is he?" Angel asked in his office back at the Hyperion sighing in relief when Buffy answered.

"No."

"Alright. See you soon."

"Yup. Bye."

With a smile to himself he hung up the phone and turned back to his desk only to see Cordelia looking at him from the door.

"Who was that?"

"Buffy." Cordy raised her brows and smiled wider over at her boss, making her way into the room. "She wants to meet up now."

"I still can't believe she's really back."

"It's why I need to meet her." Reaching into his pocket he picked out his car keys and fiddled with them in his hands. "Can you guys-"

"Cope without you here?" She chuckled and went back to open the door for him, willing to shove him out if she had to. "Yeah. I think we can manage."

"Well with Fred I don't know-"

"It'll give her some time to get over her crush on you. Maybe she'll come join the living after all." She looked up the stairs in the direction of the girl's room, shaking her head at her refusal to leave and thinking she really needed to bring her up another taco soon. "Get her out of her room for a bit."

"Okay. Yeah. I'm going to-" Angel started to walk away but instantly had to stop and run back when he saw the girl's hand slam into her head and her body start to cripple in pain. "Cordy! What's wrong?"

"Vision, vision, vision, vision!" She screamed and screamed again as the pain spread through her system, just seeming to get worse and worse with every new sight.

"Here." He held her in his arms and brought her over to the center couch and let her rest on him while she went through the pain. "I got you. I got you."

She squirmed and writhed until it slowly started to subside, her body thrashing less and less. "Buffy." The flashes ended with the vision and she turned to Angel to explain what she saw. "It's Buffy."

"What? What's wrong?!"

"She's… " Cordy pulled herself up further so she could lean on the back of the couch instead of Angel, both hands running through her hair to try and pull the residing pain away from her skull. "I don't know. It didn't make sense. Willow was there. Black eyes...Buffy was laughing but it didn't feel right. She didn't feel right. Something is wrong."

"Well I'm leaving now. I'll warn her."

"Let me come." She made a move to follow too fast and fell back down into the couch, Angel jumping to catch her.

He looked her over, worried, already shaking his head. "I don't know-"

"I won't interrupt. I'll stay in the car. Just in case seeing her brings another vision. More clarity."

He gave her a frown but nodded anyway. "Alright." If it had to do with Buffy's safety, he would do anything.

Cordy double checked she had a bottle of painkillers in her purse and, with Angel's help, walked to the car and readied herself for a beauty nap.

* * *

"And that's why the bitch is here." Angelus finished telling Spike and Buffy as they all sat in the diner, still surrounded by dead bodies. "Guess she saw you all demoned out. Though I don't know what the witch has anything to do with it."

"Vision girl doesn't see the past yeah?" Spike asked, licking the sauce from his fingers.

"No but Willow's in my future isn't she?"

Before Angelus started talking, Buffy had told them of all her plans. It was why Angelus had to explain why Cordy was tied up in their trunk, she was a part of it. It gave her high hope that the Powers That Be were trying to warn them about her with Cordy's unexplainable visions. "Maybe things just work out."

"We'll see."

"What makes you think I'm sticking around for this?" Angelus asked, slumping down more into the seat.

"Because they sit right over the Hellmouth and they screwed you over too." Buffy said, mimicking his movement. "Not nearly as much as they did me but enough where you should want to get back at them."

"I can do that on my own."

"I'm doing it and you will not get in my way. So you can either help or be mowed down with the rest of them. Your choice."

The two of them kept staring, sizing each other up, but Angelus knew in the back of his mind that the slayer could kill him if she wanted. There was too much strength there. It would take time to outsmart her, any brute force now and he would lose, and he wasn't willing to risk getting killed when he just finally got free. Of course he was always a bit too hotheaded for logic like that.

"What about Spikey here." He tipped his head to the side with a sneer. "What's in it for you?"

"They screwed me over too mate."

"But plans? Never worked out too good for you in the past have they? Well I guess you're not the one making them this time are you?"

"Shut it. My plans work out fine when she's not in the middle of it." He pointed towards Buffy who shrugged her shoulders at him without apology as she watched the two bicker.

"Your plans wouldn't work out if she wasn't. You have the success rate of a one-legged dog. I'm just saying my plans work out."

"Oh really? Remind me then, how'd that whole getting your soul put in by a gypsy plan go? Or the destroying the world thing? Or killing the slayer? Oh wait, that's right, she stuck a sword in your chest!"

"Listen you-"

"Stop!" Buffy shouted causing them both to stop and look at her. "My plans. I'm leading this. End of story."

"Why should you?" Angelus challenged. "You're just some baby vamp trying to make a name for herself. Just cus you were the slayer doesn't mean you know a god damn thing." Fists on the table he leaned over into her space and dropped his voice to a threatening tone. "I've been around a lot longer than you. Give me a reason I should listen to what you have to say."

"Because I've defeated you enough times. I've defeated both of you." She challenged right back, standing and leaning over the table, cowering over him. "I want this more than you and I'm going to get it. They brought me down to hell and I'm going to give them hell right back! Do you have a problem with that?!"

"What I have a problem with is your tone missy!" Angelus shoved off the table and met her at the end, pressing as much as he could into her space without touching her, sneering near her face. "I'm not sure I like it on you."

"So why don't you do something about it? You wanna see just how much I can kick your ass?"

"Oh yeah, let's have a go, you and me! A good old tumble around for old times sake, _lover_."

"I'd love to see-"

"Would you two shut up!" Spike yelled, stuck in the booth as they screamed. "God. You sound like children. Look. We all want the same people dead. Can we at least agree on that? Wankers."

Angelus met her gaze again and continued to huff in anger but gave in. "Fine. But I'm not taking orders from you. I'm only going along with this cus you know how they think and the best way to defeat your enemy is-"

"To love them." Spike cut in making Angelus' glare change direction.

"Damn straight I know them." Buffy answered still feeling her anger boiling over. God she needed to kill something. "And I know that they'll be onto us soon so can you shut up and can we get started?"

"Sun's gonna come up soon." Spike nodded at the windows. "Better find a place till night."

"I'm driving." Buffy's mood changed in an instant as she jumped and started for the door, only to have Spike arguing behind her again.

"What? No way! My stolen Porsche, I'm driving it."

"It's a Porsche SUV Spike. It's not like it's any different from every other SUV."

"It's a Porsche!"

"Angelus, where are you going?" Buffy called out as Angelus turned in the opposite direction towards his own car across the lot.

"My car has tinted windows, I'm not burning because you two are idiots."

"He has a good point." Buffy muttered to Spike before turning around and following Angelus. "Oooh and it's a convertible."

"Wait, what about the Porsche?" Spike called out, looking at his car hopelessly.

"Grab the girl and let's go!" Angelus yelled back as he neared the car. "And you are not driving." He pointed at Buffy before sliding into the driver's seat.

"Shotgun!" Buffy called as Spike came over with the tied and gagged Cordy, rope and tape resting on her body in his arms.

"Not fair!"

"I'm not sitting in back." Buffy laughed as Angelus popped the trunk and Spike dumped the girl inside. She opened the door for him and he reluctantly climbed behind her seat and flipped onto his back looking up at the ceiling so he could start his pout-fest.

Angelus slammed on the gas as soon as Buffy was inside and they left a trail of dust in their wake as they cruised out onto the main road. "Oh and it's a 67 Plymouth GTX convertible, much better than an SUV pretending to be a Porsche."

"What kind of self loathing vampire owns a convertible? Moronic if you ask me."

The arguing went on from there as Angelus drove and Buffy looked out the window for a place that wouldn't be too noticeable. She directed Angelus on a few turns until she saw a house cut off from most others with a very long driveway leading to a bright red door.

"Stop at that house." Angelus slowed and Spike pointed out the cars in the driveway.

"Don't know if you forgot love but humans live there. Can't get in without an invite."

"Who said that would be a problem?"

* * *

"Help!" Buffy banged on the red door with both fists, screaming her head off. "Help! Please! Please let me in! Please!"

"Whoa." A middle aged man with a bit of a southern drawl came to the door in a robe, obviously woken from his sleep. "Whoa, what seems to be the problem?" He looked her over with concern at the same time he found the rip in the front of her shirt. His concern turned to skepticism as he looked around for the cause of her tears or the people that would probably be robbing him.

"Please." Buffy threw her hands into a fist and started begging, crying her eyes out as best she could. "These two men. They're after me. I can't- I don't- Please they could be following me!"

"Alright dear, alright. Come in." He stepped back from the door and let her enter, completely oblivious to the smile on her face. "Are you hurt?"

"No. No I don't think so." She pulled the shards of her shirt together and followed the man into his kitchen where he pulled out a chair for her to sit on. The house was pretty normal looking. There were a few pictures of a family, a couple of rooms, a fireplace, and crosses everywhere. She would have to avoid those. "I ran as fast as I could."

"Dear, what's going on?" The high pitched worry of a middle aged woman was heard as she descended the stairs, a baseball bat held firmly in her hands.

"Nothing." He smiled as he took the bat from her and used it to point Buffy out. "This girl. Some men are after her. Tore her clothes it seems and well…" He let the sentence go unfinished and Buffy took that cue to start pathetically sobbing yet again. Far off in the distance she could hear the muffled laughs of the 'men' chasing her. Well one tore her clothes, at least that was true.

"Well did they follow her here?" The woman asked as she moved to Buffy and looked her over for any sign of injury.

"No." Buffy answered with a shake of the head and while she was at it, she threw a tremor through her body. "I wasn't followed. I don't think so."

"Alright. I'll get the phone for you." The man walked over into the other room as the woman started talking.

"What's your name sweetie?"

"Buffy. Buffy Summers."

"Okay Buffy. I'm Pam and this is Bill."

"Here you go sweetie." Bill dropped the house phone into Buffy's hands and started to make himself breakfast while he waited for her to dial the police. "Mighty fine cops we have around here. They'll help you out real nice."

"Thank you." Buffy took the phone with a smile and sniffed the air for the first time since entering the house. Sobbing really did cut off her smelling abilities. She didn't even know she could fake cry so good.

Formally, thinking about being raped by two vampires would have been enough to do it but not anymore. Now, if those two had sex with her, well...it wouldn't exactly be rape now would it? And at the same time? God.

She shook the dirty thoughts from her mind as she was suddenly hit with the thumping of the blood in the room. There only seemed to be two of them in the house but she needed to be sure. "I haven't put you in any trouble right? No kids or relatives or close neighbors here? I can see if someone else is home."

"No. Our kid is away at school. College and all. It's just us." Pam smiled at her, her own southern drawl coming out the more she spoke. "Next house is far too far for you to walk to."

"No trouble for us." Bill called over his eggs, pointing at the phone from behind. "Call away."

Buffy pulled the phone in front of her, intent on dialing Spike or Angelus to let them know they were going to die in the sun if they didn't come soon, but before she could lift a finger she heard some quiet tapping noises coming from the front door. She stood up from her chair and wandered over, ignoring Pam asking her if she was alright, and looked out the window closest to the door. She could see the two of them, smiling and waving, and she couldn't resist a small chuckle before falling back into the 'girl on the run' persona she had adopted, screaming and dropping the phone by the door. "NO! Oh no! No! No, no, no, no, no. They're here! O my god!"

"Bill, get the gun." Pam had her by the arms, dragging her back into the kitchen as Buffy continued to act hopeless and weak.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Buffy!" Angelus called her through the door, knocking continuously as Spike joined.

"Love, let us in."

"Let us meet your new friends."

"You boys best be getting out of here!" Bill came down the stairs with a shotgun in his arms, aimed at the door, loaded and ready. "We phoned the cops and they'll be here any moment!"

"The cops Buffy?" Spike asked in a mocking tone, already knowing that was a lie.

"We already ate so much." Angelus laughed.

"Don't worry guys!" Buffy called back from behind Pam's protective arms. "Not quite called. Have you in a moment."

"Wha-" Pam slowly turned in shock to the girl she was protecting.

"Sorry." Buffy stood tall, wiping any remaining tears from her face and walking further into the kitchen directly between Pam and Bill. "That was fun but it got old fast. I don't need them whining about shotgun wounds"

"What-" Pam's face morphed even further into shock as Buffy shifted into vampire form, her eyes gleaming in the dark of the house. Suddenly she was hit with the extra spices of adrenaline filling up both of their bodies, enticing her even further. "What are you doing?! No. No! Devil! Devil!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and laughed as Bill turned the shotgun on her. "Oh now we can't have that." She ran forward and ripped it from his arms, throwing it across the other side of the room. Pam screamed but that was nothing compared to the scream she made when Buffy reached forward and grabbed Bill's head, twisting it into a position far too sharp to survive. With that snap he was dead on the floor and Buffy turned to face Pam.

"First time I've done that!" She said excited, moving closer and closer as Pam moved further and further back. "Wasn't that bad actually."

"Would you hurry up slayer?" Angelus yelled through the door.

"Sun's a coming," Spike reminded her. "And I would prefer not to be sweepable!"

"Give me a minute!" She yelled back as she walked over to the shotgun and picked it up, cocking it like she saw Bill do and aiming it at Pam. "I've always wanted to try this too." She pulled the trigger and staggered back at the recoil as the gun went off and Pam was laced with bullet casings.

Pam was tossed back, her stomach having been hit, and spots of blood started to soak through her pajamas. It reminded Buffy of swiss cheese and she thought she ought to have a bite. She finished the job by tackling her to the ground and pinning her arm, latching on to one of the bullet wounds and sucking the blood through like a straw. When she was done killing her she lifted her head and spat out the chunk of metal letting it clang to the floor. The vamps outside fell into the house together as soon as the metal landed and the barrier lifted.

Spike looked around the room with approval before turning back to Buffy. "You are sexy as a demon."

"I was sexy before."

"Mighty fine." Spike mimicked the southern accent of the man she just killed, making her roll her eyes as he rolled his tongue behind his teeth.

"Would you two stop?" Angelus snapped from the window. "Help me close the damn curtains."

"You two do that." Buffy said, making her way around the house to find the stairs. "I'm gonna find the bedroom. I've been very busy and I am very tired."

As soon as Buffy was gone up the stairs Angelus turned to Spike with a scoffing chuckle. "You are so whipped."

"What?"

"You heard me. Running around, following her everywhere. Getting that chip out of your head. She's just leading you on a chase. Using you. You know she doesn't actually care. You're convenient."

"You think I don't know that?" Spike growled back defensively. "It doesn't matter to me."

"I've known you a long time Spikey. You can't lie to me. It's killing you and it's going to keep killing you."

"Shut up and finish." Spike ignored him and moved to the curtains in the kitchen, stepping over Pam's body to close them up.

"Bad news boys." Buffy called down from the upstairs before jogging her way back down to them. "Two bedrooms only."

"Worse." Spike said pointing at the living room. "No curtains by the couch."

"So it looks like you two are sharing." Buffy nodded at them both with a smile as they both flipped the switch back to argumentative, as if they ever left that state.

Spike yelled, "Hell no! "at the same time Angelus yelled "Fuck no!". These two had obviously spent way too much time together in their history.

"There is no fucking way _we_ are sharing a bedroom." Angelus pointed between himself and Spike as if it needed clarification.

"I will _not_ sleep next to him." Spike added on nodding in Angelus' direction.

"Yeah he snores."

"So does he!"

"Wait." Buffy chuckled. "How do you two know that?"

Angelus and Spike both turned to each other simultaneously as an awkward pause filled the room followed by a bunch of stuttering and non-coherent sentences.

"Um-"

"I-"

"He-"

"We-"

"Never- I-"

"Whatever." Angelus was finally able to say, putting his foot down and stomping up the stairs. "Not sharing!"

"Fine, you two figure it out." Buffy turned to follow him up, wanting to lay her head down. After all those people she was like a human after Thanksgiving dinner, ready for some sleep. "Like I said, I'm tired."

* * *

Miles and miles away in a completely different bedroom Willow and Tara were curled up under the covers. Tara didn't have class and Dawn had already left for school but Willow couldn't face hers. The good moments came and went too quickly with her.

That morning she couldn't even get out of bed the sobs were wracking her body so hard. She really did try to keep it to herself, knowing they needed her at her best to help with the situation, but when it was just Tara she knew she could let a little show. The problem with a little was that it usually turned into a lot.

Tara held her like she always did as Willow cried and cried into her shoulder. Willow finally caved and told her why she had the scratches on her cheek and why everyone kept saying that she shouldn't listen to Buffy. She couldn't keep it in after they saw the deaths at The Bronze in the newspaper.

Tara cried with her when she told her Buffy made it clear who she blamed.

_No matter what they tell you, what they try to blame this on, know that this...this is your fault. I'm the way I am because of you. You killed me. Every action I take, every person I kill, will be because of you. You made me the way I am._

Willow could only sob the accusations but Tara understood them well enough. Buffy destroyed any chance she might have had at consolidation. Tara could only get so far before Willow would break down even further, completely ignoring every word that came out of her mouth in favor of repeating over and over; "my fault".

"Willow, look at me." She refused and sunk her head into Tara's shoulder further. "Baby, look." She grabbed Willow's head in her hands and pulled her up so she could see into her red and poofy eyes. Using her thumbs she swept away all the tears that escaped, avoiding her scratches, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "It wasn't Buffy. It looked like Buffy and sounded like her but it wasn't. It was a demon."

"B-but i-i-it-"

"No. It wasn't her. We're going to save her. We're going to get her back. We're going to make this right. You know how I know that?" Willow shook her head, more tears spilling out as Tara pushed them back again and again. "Because you're going to be the one to do it. You can do anything. I love you and I know you. We're going to fix this."

"But what if- what if we-we can't. What if-if she's gone! I brought her down from hea-heav-he-"

"Shhhh. We will fix this. I promise. Do I ever break my promises?" Willow shook her head. "There see. Then we're as right as rain. If rain was ever right." Willow chuckled a bit and Tara pulled her in for a kiss, ignoring the dampness of her mouth and moving her hands to hold her closer.

Willow shut her eyes tighter and deepened the kiss, pulling them together until there was absolutely no space between them. Tara held her back hard and kissed her just as she needed, distracting her from her own mind as best she could.

Tongues started battling as they sunk further and further under the sheets with their hands roaming. Willow was first to follow the trail of Tara's buttons and pop one after the other through their hole, opening up the top to her pjs. Tara trailed her hands to the bottom of Willow's shirt and started to ride the fabric up her back just as they heard a knock at the door.

"Girls?" Giles called into the room from behind the door. "Are you coming down for breakfast?"

The two girls looked at each other and nodded, knowing that the research they had to do to help Buffy was more important than their need for each other. "Coming Giles!" Tara called back as she redid her buttons and Willow got up to find an outfit to wear. They would have plenty of time to be with each other when it was all over with.

* * *

"Buff." Spike stood at the foot of her bed, tossing off his shoes and shirt, waking her up and moving to the side before she had a chance to do much else but answer back.

"Yeah Spike?"

"Poofy got the room." He pointed over his shoulder to the room across the hall, the kid's room. Buffy was sure to get the bigger bed so she could lie flat in the middle of it, her body diagonal across the middle. "Move over."

"I'm not moving." She spread out even more so her limbs covered every bit of space they could, digging her head further into the pillow.

"I'll fight you."

"And I'll kick your ass. Again."

"Damn demon bitch."

"Oh stop whining." She chuckled as he forcibly pushed her out of the way and he slipped into the side of the bed, moving her limbs with his legs when she refused to move over any more.

Buffy kept her face in the pillow, still taking up far too much room in his opinion, and he stared at the ceiling as random thoughts started popping up into his head. One thought was about how much he wanted to sleep naked, knowing that wasn't going to happen, having to settle with just his shirt off. Two being what Buffy was wearing, half her clothes were on the floor but her body was under the covers. Lifting them up he could see she had on a jersey too big for her, covering anything worth looking at. But at least her legs were bare. She must have grabbed it from the kid's room. Third, he really wanted a cigarette but they were across the room. Fourth, he went over Buffy's plan in his mind again. Well, it wasn't really a plan in the way of having steps or anything. Pretty much it was just a bunch of goals involving mass murder and mayhem, good on all parts. Fifth, he thought about who Buffy was really after.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?" She groaned in a deadly tone, having almost fallen back to sleep.

"Are you sure about this?"

"What do you mean?"

"About your plan. I mean, sounds good and all on the outside but do you really think you'll be able to do it? They were your friends for so long. I know we're on repeat here and you've said you don't care but sometimes that can get under your skin."

"Yeah they were my friends." She groaned and turned onto her back looking up at the ceiling like Spike, closing her eyes and answering his question. "But what kind of friends were they?"

"Well they're no friends of mine. Well Dawn…" He drifted off not really sure if it needed saying. "Just want to make sure you won't-"

"What? Chicken out?"

"Yeah."

"No. I'm not. And Dawn will be fine. We'll help her through it. Give her a nice juicy human right from the start."

"Yeah I know."

Silence filled the room for a moment more before Buffy decided to break it. "Are _you_ going to chicken out?"

"What makes you think I'm gonna chicken out?"

"You." She sighed and turned on her side to face him as he refused to to turn to her. Momentarily she was a bit distracted at the lack of clothes on his chest, his pecks and arms looking quite nice in the dark, but she got herself back on track. "First you're all obsessed with me as a human. I reject you till the day I die, literally. Then you stick by me as a vamp. You make sure I live to my 'Buffy morals' before handing me over to get re-souled. Then you stop them from killing me. Then you're helping me take my revenge. You switch sides more often than a ping pong ball. Whose side are you on?"

He sighed in frustration, adjusted his pillow, and slammed a hand under his head before answering. "On yours Buffy. Always on yours."

"How? How can you be?" His answer came in the form of a short lived glare so she continued to pry. "I'm not a human anymore. I'm not going back."

"Only makes you more attractive. Like you said. You're still the same person. You're still the stubborn girl I've always known. Stronger than anyone, fighting for what she believes in. You haven't changed."

Smiling she added, "I'm actually stronger now", before chuckling and tossing herself back onto her back and staring up again.

"I meant on the inside but I guess that's a point too. My ribcage can vogue for that."

"And you have no problem with what we're about to do?"

"I was taking over the world long before you were born. I go where you go." He smiled over at her and she turned to smile back but it didn't last long before he rolled his head back with a groan. "I really am whipped aren't I?"

"Like a pup." Playfully hitting his arm she smiled wide at his expression. "Name fits doesn't it?"

"Don't start in on a leash or anything. You'll rile me up too much."

"God forbid. You're already riled up 24/7."

"Oh you've barely scratched the surface."

"So you're saying I should scratch a little deeper?" She reached out with one of her legs until it came into contact with his shin and scratched the nails of her toes up the curves of his muscles to his upper thigh. His body arched up off the bed until she took her foot away and he could sink back down.

"I- um…"

"Sorry did I go pass the normal flirting boundaries?" She laughed at his dumbfound expression as he continued to stutter a response.

"Flir-Flirting boundaries?"

"Never mind." She laughed and fell back into her place on the bed, turning over to her stomach. "Actually, here." She leaned off the bed for her clothes, her legs kicking out the covers and kicking Spike even more until he grabbed her ankles and she was able to reach.

"What's this?" He picked up the item she tossed behind her and held it up, letting her legs go and letting her fall straight to the floor.

"Asshole." She snapped but he ignored her. She pulled herself back onto the bed, crawling back under the covers and back onto her back, adjusting the comforter as he started to gape at his new toy.

In his hands was the small golden dagger that Florica used to cut their palms and create the binding spell. Engraved he could see the fire breathing dragon with red and blue jewels outlining its form. Inside the sheath the blade was just as it looked before, just as sharp and just as deadly. This kicked his other dagger's ass! "Did you nick this?"

"You looked like you wanted it so…yeah." She didn't miss Spike's whistle when it was first brought out and Florica didn't ever ask for it back really. Buffy did put it on the table for a moment but it was in the waist of her pants the next and the gypsy didn't seem to care. Or notice.

"Stealing from a gypsy. You're in for some bad karma slayer."

"Oh karma can kiss my ass."

"Now this, this is a thing of-" He continued to rotate it in front of him, turning to the thank her in some way but then he lost all interest in the knife. In an attempt to piss him off for letting her drop she had moved over even more on the bed, taking up more than her fair share of space. She was directly next to him, her hair was a mess, she was fixing her jersey, and she looked so flustered after having fallen down. She was all he could look at. "Beautiful."

Buffy looked at him, caught off guard by his tone, and found herself stuck in his gaze. He was looking at her. Not the blade. Her. "Really?"

"Yeah." He shrugged it off, looking at the blade in his hands but he knew he was caught. He slowly lowered it down and nodded his head. "Yeah."

Buffy couldn't figure out why she couldn't move but she knew it was even worse than before. They were already so close but she could feel her body pushing her to inch even further. Entirely stuck in his eyes she found herself thinking out loud in quiet whispers. "Do you ever think that maybe we have souls? They're just different than other creatures. Vamp souls versus human souls. I don't exactly feel soulless. I actually think I feel more."

He smiled at her, those tiny cautious smiles he had reserved for moments like this, where all he could feel was completely protective of her, completely drawn in, completely smothered, completely in love. "Careful. You might start to make sense."

"Like I don't normally?"

"No. You were always a smart one."

"We should…um…" Buffy nodded towards the bed they were lying in.

"Yeah we should." He nodded but neither made a move to sleep, both still gently falling into one another.

"If you two are going to start fucking then go the hell outside!" Angelus yelled from across the hall.

"Shut it Peaches!" Spike snapped back angrily before turning back to Buffy.

They both rolled their eyes at Angelus, both hiding their disappointment from the other. Spike was disappointed for obvious reasons, still feeling the need to inch around her, afraid to take what he wanted when she could so easily destroy him. Buffy was disappointed and that shocked her. In her new form, she knew she could take whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it. But what did she want? Spike only seemed to wind his way up the ladder the closer she got to getting her revenge. She would just have to go with the flow she thought. Next time she'd listen to her instincts. They hadn't let her down yet.

They flipped themselves back under the covers and without mentioning it again said their goodnights.

"Night pet."

"Night Shiny."


	14. Big Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for comments/kudos/subscriptions, especially you ;)
> 
> School has me busy like a bee so I'm trying to keep on my two a week updates but...blah blah blah.
> 
> I don't respond to reviews because (I'm evil) I never want to give anything away or it would just be a thank you of which I gave you above. Special thank yous come at end. (I'm also mean).
> 
> But a couple mentions of Angelus have me writing this, I've always found Angelus a funny evil dude (I like him better than Angel :0, again I'm evil on the inside), and yes he would be the one to kill children. Can't say it won't be the last time for him in this fic. (Again not giving a thing away!) He amuses me. More of his antics to come. And Spike's. And evil bitch Buffy. We're gonna have some fun here.

Xander jogged into the house coming home for his late lunch break. He had been stuck at the Initiative pretty much ever since they stepped foot in there. There was a lot of work to do to make the space livable and make sure the cells could keep a pair of grumpy vamps. Neither he nor Giles were electricians so it wasn't going too fast.

"So Wills, how's the locator spell coming?"

Willow looked up from her laptop to grin at him, something she was trying to do more often though it never really felt right. "Fine. Just waiting for an ingredient to come in the mail. Same day shipping so it should be here by late this afternoon. How's the cell coming?"

"We've got two working fine. We found a few ID cards and one actually still works. We locked Giles in there for a test." He chuckled and grabbed some pizza off the table, talking with his mouth full. "Didn't look like he could get out. We even got the blood drops to work. Just need to get some pigs blood for them. Though I don't think we should be feeding Spike. But what have you kids been up to all day?" He looked around and found Tara in the living room with an old book in her hands, many more spread out around her. No one else was home. "Book worming?"

"Worming and internet searches. Worming and surfing." She chuckled. "That would be cute. A little worm riding a surf board."

"Adorable." Xander agreed stuffing more pizza into his mouth. "What'd you come up with?"

She sighed and closed her laptop to grab a piece of pizza for herself. Watching him eat made her want a slice. She hadn't been able to eat a lot recently. "Nothing good." Xander waited for her to continue so she did, putting her pizza back down after one bite. "Seems the dark magic I used is what's blocking her from the good kind working. It's like a barrier or like a stain. Like if your pen exploded on your shirt or something. It's there for good and nothing will work on it. To remove the magic would probably kill her."

"And require a big amount of very dark mojo."

"So not possible."

"Not unless we find a really good stain remover."

She smiled at him quickly before walking back over to her computer and gesturing for him to follow. "Also we found this." She opened up her latest search and stood away so he could look. "It's a news article on a mass murder from last night. A pizza place was found with everyone dead inside."

"You don't think-"

Willow shook her head sadly trying not to think about the ending to that sentence. "Really it could be anything but we don't know for sure." She closed out of the article, tired of staring at the photo on the cover and looked around. "Where's Anya and Giles?"

"They went to pick up Dawn from school." Xander said walking over to look at more books on the table and read the titles as he took the late bite of his lunch.

"Together?"

"I think they're talking about the shop or something. I don't know." He shrugged and she shrugged back before plopping one of the rather large books in his hands interrupting his attempt to grab more pizza. "Hey! What's this?"

"Research. Anything that will help Buffy."

"But I've been the big strong handy man all day. I don't want to do research on my lunch break."

"Tough."

He groaned and grabbed another slice in his free hand before joining Tara on the couch and cracking open the cover.

* * *

Everyone in the house of the dead Pam and Bill woke up in their own time. Buffy was that last to get up, not even having been woken by Spike jumping out of bed. When she walked down the stairs she could hear the TV running and saw both vamps separating themselves as far as they possibly could across the room, both trying to watch without having to interact with each other. She was sure there was fighting that morning she didn't get to hear. That wasn't such a bad thing.

"Morning boys. Or afternoon or whatever." They both grunted at her like the cavemen that they were and she rolled her eyes, checking out what they were watching on TV. It was on some commercial with a bunch of cheerleaders going on about something like a new fruit drink. That reminded her…"Where's Cordy?" Again she got another grunt from the zoned out vamps. "Did you guys leave her in the trunk?" Grunt. "Seriously guys? I said not to kill her. Go get her and bring her some water or something. That is if she's not dead already. She's been in a hot car all day. God that's going to smell." Grunt. She moved in front of the TV and those grunts turned into excited shouts for her to move. "Go get Cordelia!" She screamed and they protested back. "Now or I'll break the TV!"

"Jesus. No need to threaten the TV." That was Spike, hunched over and walking outside, double checking the low sun was behind the clouds.

"Someone had a bowl of bitch for breakfast." Angelus muttered as he joined him, Buffy left to scream in frustration as they left the house.

They dragged in the slumped over Cordy, passed out from the heat, and dumped her on the couch. She looked a complete mess, her clothes all dirty, her hair sticking to her head from sweat, fuzz from the trunk all over her face. She would certainly have a heart attack if she saw what she looked like.

"Happy?" Angelus asked, pushing Cordy's legs aside and taking his spot back.

"Ecstatic." She replied with no enthusiasm, moving so they could watch their show. "Get her water, I'll be back later."

"Be back?" Spike asked, falling back down into his chair. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Shopping."

"Shopping? Now? You're going bloody shopping?"

"Valley girls." Angelus scoffed and she took turns glaring at both of them.

"I need new clothes, okay? I wanna make an impression."

"All we need to do is let you lose on them in the morning." Spike mumbled. "That'd be impression enough."

"Seriously slayer, you need to get laid." Angelus reached out and ran a hand around her waist, letting it slide further down her back onto her butt. "I'm happy to volunteer." She laughed without humor and chucked his hand away, ignoring the daggers Spike was glaring their way.

"Just go." Spike said, fishing out a cigarette. "No promises he won't be dead by the time you come back."

"Just be nice you two." She picked up the keys from the table as they were glaring at each other hopefully unnoticed by both. "No killing unless it's a human. And not Cordy. And don't draw attention to yourself. Last thing we need is for them to find us before we get to them." She looked them both over but they were already back with their attention on the TV. Grunting back at them in what she could only hope was a language they understood she walked out the door and ran to the car before either of them knew she was taking it. With a giddy laugh she jumped in the driver's seat and roared the engine, slamming on the gas and whipping out onto the road. Both vamps inside glared at her but she didn't spare them anything more than her middle finger out the window.

Spike took the remote and started flipping through the channels. They had no cable. Just the local stations of which there were three; Stupid, Idiotic, and Bollocks. And there was absolutely nothing good on those. No soap. Nothing but crap daytime TV.

He looked around the house and his eyes fell on Angelus who had already been glaring at him. "Well I'm not hanging out with you all day."

"I'm not being around you either."

They both split apart and in their own time poked around the house, up the stairs, basement, attic, and out the windows, somehow meeting back in the living room. There was nothing to do. Nothing around. Spike spoke first, "We are in the middle of nowhere."

"She took the car." Angelus mumbled, looking around for something else to occupy his time. They could go into town and start something fun but that would require a car, they were so far out. Plus it would draw attention. Not that he saw anything really wrong with that.

"I saw cards downstairs." Spike shrugged.

"I saw whiskey." Angelus shrugged back.

"Fine." Spike snapped.

"Fine." Angelus snapped back.

* * *

Pulling up to the meeting point outside the Initiative Anya picked up Giles and started making the short drive to Dawn's high school. As soon as he got into the car she checked over her shoulder and made sure they were alone before pointing to the back seat.

"Your book is in the back."

"Thank you Anya." Giles turned and picked up the bag the text was in, truly feeling the weight of it in his hands.

"You sure you don't want any help with it?"

"No. I will be fine. Thank you for keeping this discrete."

"Sure."

They continued to drive in a bit of awkward silence until they pulled up to the school and saw Dawn walking towards the car.

Giles turned to Anya before Dawn could get inside. "If you don't mind, I wish to stop at the Magic Box to pick a few things."

"You have to pay for anything you take."

"Yes Anya. No need to worry."

Dawn popped into the back seat and greeted them both as Giles told her they were stopping at the Magic Box for a few things for Willow and Tara before heading back home. Dawn agreed instantly, anything to put off her homework.

* * *

Angelus and Spike left alone in a house with humans, one passed out, two rotting, and only the company of crappy TV, cards and booze to keep them occupied. It went better than expected. They actually behaved themselves pretty well, fighting about the game or the TV or the lights in the house, any reason really, but they would always come back down before killing each other.

At a point between games, when the smell of the whiskey far outshined any other smells in the house, they heard a groan come from the lump of a human on the couch. Cordy was waking up.

They both looked over at her and then back at each other, neither wanting to get up for fear of the other one cheating. Then Cordy made another moan and started to move.

"We should probably take care of that." Spike nodded over at her.

"Yeah." Angelus agreed.

They both stayed still for a moment then rose equally slow, setting their cards on the table, never taking their eyes off the other. They both inched away from the middle, continuously glaring until they left the table.

Spike turned for a moment and got the water but didn't miss the sounds of cards shuffling from behind him. Fine, Angelus wanted to cheat, he would too. When Angelus took a moment to turn to the other room he swept an ace off the table and stuck it in his pocket. Angelus heard the card movement as well and both started glaring again but were cut off by the whimpers of the girl in front of them along with the sound of her ripping the duct tape off her mouth.

Cordelia tried her arms and legs but it seemed both of them were tied together using strong pieces of white rope. Pulling on the rope she could see it wasn't going to get her very far so she pushed herself up into a sitting position and held her head in her hands trying to remember what had happened. She remembered waking up in a confined space. It only took her a few tries to figure out it was a trunk, the sun was shining through the cracks making the convertible's interior visible. Before that she remembered running. Then she was hit over the head. Hard. By Spike. Buffy was there…she was the one who told Spike to attack her. Something was wrong about her. Angel was on the ground in pain and she saw and ran out of the car and…was that the vision?

"Angel?" She turned her head in her hands squinting trying to open her eyes. "What's going on?" Her voice cracked and her mouth felt like sandpaper. She had no idea what time it was but she must have been out for a while. Honestly she felt disgusting. Her clothing crunched beneath her and her hair was a mess and she felt like she got hit with the car she woke up in. But where was she now? It looked like someone's house but she didn't recognize whose. "Where am I?"

Angelus sneered down at her and sank his way into sitting on the small table across from her on the couch. He turned that sneer into a smile, that sad little 'comforting' smile his other half used on the humans. "Oh, I'm afraid Angel isn't here right now. Leave a message after the blood curdling scream."

Cordy's face fell even further as she realized what must have happened when he was clawing at the dirt under the streetlight. "Angelus."

"Bingo baby."

She glared at the murderer in front of her and back around the room trying to establish what was going to happen to her. "Spike?" He smirked at her but she ignored it and looked around more. "Where's Buffy? What happened to her?"

"Nothing we did." Spike said, putting the glass of water in his hands on the table next to Angelus before slumping into his chair.

"Just every vamp's wet dream come true. It's like a fairytale!" Cordy looked completely confused, her eyes darting between the two vamps, and it only made Angelus laugh louder. He stood up quick and ruffled her hair like a little kid, her hands pulling at her head as the move shook what was probably a bad concussion.

"What does that mean?"

"It means, slayer got an upgrade."

"Your rag tag bunch of pals brought her back." Spike joined in without looking away from the TV. "And they changed her. She's got the full package. Teeth, eyes, face, demon all complete with one soul removal."

Cordy stared at him, waiting for him to say he was joking. This had to be a joke. A very mean, very cruel joke. But no one said anything. She looked around and they were staying the same. Angel wasn't comforting her, Spike was giving off that careless vibe and Buffy was nowhere to be seen. Then images of her vision sprung up and she clicked it together. "She's- she's a vampire?"

"And the bimbo's got it! Now shut up and drink the water." Spike gestured towards the glass on the table.

"No." Cordy sat back and pulled her arms up to her chest trying to hide her fear and look braver than she actually was. "I don't want anything from either of you."

"Well then dehydrate for all we care." Spike shrugged trying his luck at the TV channels again.

Angelus walked back around the table and sat next to Cordy on the couch, running a finger up her arm and around the ropes binding her wrists, leaning in to murmur in her ear. "I like you all tied up. I gotta admit, it's not the first time I've pictured it." His hand jumped from her wrists to her knee and she started a futile attempt at trying to lean as far away from him as possible. There was only so much couch before she reached the corner. Slowly, he traced a finger up the line of her inner thigh as he continued to talk. "Sometimes when Angel was lonely, he'd stare at those cuffs you found on the black demon market and wonder if they'd be enough to hold you down. He wanted to know what it would be like." His hand trail up further on her jeans, a finger pushing hard up her center, riding up her waist where he dipped a finger behind her button, making her squirm even more as a whimper escaped her lips. "To be inside you. To make you scream. I might just have to see for him."

Spike heard the button on her jeans pop making the girl's heart beat so fast it sounded like it would come out of her chest any second. Another involuntary cry from her and he had to cut in. "Hold your roll Peaches."

Angelus twisted to him with a great big smile. "Oh come on Spike. It'll be fun!" He twisted back to his pray and put a hand back down on her inner thigh while the other forced her head back to look at him. "We can take turns. Just like the good ol' days."

"You heard what Buffy said. Just be patient. You'll have your go."

"Patient?" He flipped back and stood over Spike's chair, blocking the TV, shoving a finger in his direction. "You, you've got a reason. You're trying to get in her pants. Me? I got no reason."

"You heard her. Kill the girl and she'll kill you. Now move, you're blocking the TV."

"Oh I'm quivering in my boots."

Spike growled and stood up trying to match Angelus' height, but he could never really succeed there, and tossed the remote behind him. "Slayer blood didn't go away for her. Never will. You ever drink a slayer?"

Angelus rolled his eyes at his usual ' _I killed two slayers_ ' bit. "Yeah in fact I have. Should have seen it. She was on her back, literally begging for it, screaming. Gave me some good long scratches down my back. Almost had me drain her. Oh, that was Buffy by the way. You ever get to drink her? She just tasted, oh, mmm, oh so good." Spike's death glare made him laugh out loud and slap him on the shoulder playfully. "Oh cheer up Spike. No need to pout just cus she likes me more. I'm sure you'll get your chance at sloppy seconds. Just like the old days."

Spike ground his teeth doing his best not to fall into the argument Angelus tried to instigate. "She doesn't want you, you know. She's just using you-"

"Like you? She loved me Spike. She ever love you? She even ever fuck you?" The silence between them was scathing. Both with fists as their sides, each waiting to see who would throw first. "God Spike, you're losing your touch. Speaking of, I'm going to get a good touch of my own." He turned back to Cordy on the couch who had long since been trying to wiggle out of her ropes to run away while they were distracted. Of course she hadn't realized that both of them could hear her moving like crazy and vampire strength knots were far too tight for her weak arms to compete.

Spike put a hand on Angelus' arm and stopped him before he could take another step towards the girl. "She can still kill you."

"And look at you caring so much."

"I've drank my fair share of slayers. You know what that blood does to you. She's hopped up on it continuously. That plus she's smarter than you. You don't stand a chance."

"Look at you sticking up for your bitch."

"She's not my bitch. She's just as much her own woman as you are."

"She's not going to kill me. She was the one that wanted me here. Better keep an eye on your woman Spike. Maybe she had other motives. Maybe she had certain needs that you just couldn't fulfill. Kinda like, oh I don't know….Dru."

Spike threw that first punch and landed a blow on the side of Angelus' jaw sending him reeling back. A quick kick was meant to follow but Angelus pounced at the opportunity and pushed him back against the wall with his shoulder, his face shifting into demon form as he did so. Spike slammed an elbow down on the back of his skull and slammed that Neanderthal forehead into the plaster, jumping away when the sheetrock broke.

Angelus twisted around to see Spike all vamped up as well and charged. Spike deflected the first punch but Angelus landed the second in his gut, making him bend over. Angelus took up the back of his shirt with his fists and used it to send him flying at the wall. Spike swept back up to a standing position and grabbed the front of Angelus' shirt to pull him closer, a hard punch to the nose and a second one to the temple had Angelus losing his balance. A quick to the side and he staggered into the stairs, only to grab the railing for support before jumping and kicking both feet into Spike's already sore chest.

Angelus charged and Spike prepared himsef as they collided in the middle of the room. Cordy continued to watch, inching her way off the couch, looking for anything that would cut rope. She couldn't see a thing and she was too afraid to try and get up or she would get in the middle of the fight. Sure enough they were twisting around and Angelus threw Spike into the couch right beside her, almost landing him on top of her. Spike jumped back up and they collided again, this time grabbing shirts and arms and bumping into everything in the house.

Spike didn't see the dead body of Bill from his position and tripped back, Angelus using the lack of balance to punch him and push him further, sending him straight through glass.

"Hey that was the liquor cabinet!" Spike yelled, looking over his shoulder at the rows of bottle that resided behind the glass he crashed through.

"Not my fault you can't take a punch!"

"There's bourbon too." He pulled out the bottle and brought it in front of him. "It's not broken!"

After a breather and a few swigs of bourbon they were back to checking and tormenting the human with the TV playing in the background. Cordy eventually caved and drank the water, her survival instinct winning out against her logical thoughts. Right after she finished the glass Angelus decided he liked her better with duct tape and put the piece she pulled off right back on her mouth. It seemed to be more fun for him, to hear her whimpers of fear muffled in her mouth.

There seemed to be no hope of escape and she really didn't understand what was happening anyway. She really hoped that Wesley or Gunn or hell, even Fred noticed something was wrong by now. Maybe they were trying to call her. She didn't have her phone or purse, they must have taken it. She had no way of getting help and no one to turn to in Sunnydale. Especially if Buffy was behind all this. Who knew what the Scooby gang was up to. She couldn't trust anyone.

She just had to wait and listen to all the things they were going to do to her, never knowing when it was actually going to happen. Every second she hoped harder and harder that her vision powers came with some sort of telepathy. Surely the Powers That Be wouldn't leave her like this. She was there vision girl.

She could only hope.

* * *

The front door slammed open and shut as Buffy walked through calling out for her fellow vampires. "Boys! I'm back." On the couch sat Cordy, looking worse for wear, and Angelus sat on the chair, the TV remote in his hands. She propped up against the door and turned to them both. "How do I look?"

Shopping was more fun than she remembered it to be. She could wear whatever she wanted and what she wanted was to be wanted. Wanted by who? Everyone. But she couldn't help that notice while flipping through racks she tended to be more inclined towards what Spike would find interesting, what he would think of this or that. As annoying as realizing that was, it was how the red and black color scheme came into play. He always did like those colors.

But what girl couldn't resist a good pair of shoes? Her new ones were a shiny pair of patent leather boots riding up to knee length with a touch of heel, just the right amount for that extra punch when kicking someone. Fishnets snaked their way up her thighs only to be covered by a skirt that barely existed. The skirt matched her boots though, just as shiny with black leather, and though they barely reached past her ass she couldn't resist the one that had a slit on the right, showing the end of the fishnets on that leg and showing a tantalizing bit of flesh reaching up her hip. Another bit of flesh teased around her middle as her bright red tube top, tied at both sides of her body pulling her boobs up and out to perky, ended just above her belly button.

The clothes, if they could even really be called that, she did shop at her fair share of adult themed places, were not the only additions to her new look. The makeup bag in the car kept the new palette she was currently showing off. Not only did she have to go two shades lighter in foundation, no blood to darken her complexion, but she also decided to change up the rest of her colors, going much bolder than she had dared to before. The colors she stuck with played through her look with a dark black liner rimming around her eyes, fading into a slate eyeshadow, black mascara pushing her lashed out and red blush fading into the apples of her cheeks, all brought together with a bold and deadly blood red lipstick outlining her curving smile. To her former self it might have seemed a bit much but she did wonders with her tools now and pulled it all together making it the perfect amount of sexy.

New piercings also lined her nose in the form of three golden studs shining on the right. The lucky thing about being a vampire was she didn't have to wait for weeks before getting the studs she wanted or with having to worry about infection. She got what she wanted right then and there. The other lucky thing was that she remembered to grab Pam's wallet before leaving the house. The temptation to kill for her new look was there but really she couldn't make a scene. People would remember her in this outfit.

They would also remember her for her hair. She got it re-done, colored platinum blonde, but not quite as platinum as Spike, with appropriate lowlights and a cut. She really, really got it cut. She wanted something completely new that would shock the world and her hair dresser gave her just that. A styled bob with sharp angles curved inward around her face with bangs slashing down, curved above her right brow.

All in all, leaning against the door with her perfect body on display in her brand new look waiting for them to tell her what they thought, she couldn't help feeling hot.

"Like a slut!" Cordy snapped out angrily as she took in Buffy's outfit.

"Way to whore up slayer." Angelus seemed much more enthused, even looking away from the TV to let his eyes curve up her revealed body. "Looking much improved."

"Where's Spike?" Buffy asked cocking her hip to the side out of habit.

"Who needs him when there's us? Just you, me, and those boots."

"I'm ignoring that. Where is he really?"

"Basement." Angelus answered with a shrug, still checking her out. "Something about tequila. Though I don't see him needing it now."

"Did you even leave the lingerie section?" Cordy mouthed off, forgetting that she probably shouldn't have been with her new knowledge of Buffy being able to eat her alive. Literally.

"What the hell is the duct tape doing off her mouth?" Buffy asked in her direction, smiling at her without regarding her question.

"We got bored."

"It was on Angelus' for a bit!" Spike called up from down the stairs. "Before he ruined it."

"He put it on me!" Angelus yelled back in defense.

"He wouldn't quit talking!"

"God I feel like your mother." Buffy sank down next to Cordy, making sure to prop her legs up on the table and cross her right over the top to show off the ride up her slit, a perfect angle for her black lace thong to be seen hugging her hip. She smirked at Cordy's scoff.

Spike walked back up the stairs yelling back at Angelus. "I can't help it if you're going to talk when the TV…" He stopped upon seeing Buffy and his mouth fell completely open, the bottle in his hands falling to the ground with a crash. He blinked a few times before he managed to sputter out: "You cut your hair."

She stood back up and tossed a hand through it making sure it looked right. "Don't you like it?"

"It looks good!" He quickly said trying to backtrack. "Just...It's very short. Unexpected."

"I want to be unexpected." She smiled coyly and he smiled back slowly walking over to her and meeting her in front of the table.

"And would you look at this." He gestured at her outfit excitedly, feeling more than excited in other areas of his body. "This is the shortest skirt I've ever seen."

"Thought you might like that."

"Leather. That I do."

"Boots match." She kicked a leg up on the table to give him a better look, Cordy turning away completely, able to see all the way up her skirt.

"And you actually look like you have a chest in that."

"Hey-"

"You look like a prostitute!" Cordy shouted from behind closed eyes.

Buffy turned back to her with a sigh. "Oh Cordy. I went to high school with you. I saw what you wore. I make a much better hooker than you."

"You got your nose pierced." Spike babbled out.

"Do you like it?"

"It's sexy." He went back to gesturing her body giving his complete smirk of approval. "You are the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

"Careful Spike, we can see you drooling." Angelus said from behind Buffy, having walked up to get a better look at the back. "I did always appreciate a mini skirt." Buffy stood and smirked at both boys as Spike oogled her front, a hand tracing the line of the top and the strings that held it together, and Angelus ran a hand up her thigh, a thumb dipping under the leather of her skirt and feeling the flesh of her skin.

"Can you not?" Cordy whined from the couch and Buffy chuckled.

"Come on." Buffy said walking away from both men, leaving them with their mouths gaping, and going back to the car. "We have to get to Sunnydale. It's time we paid my friends a visit."

* * *

Willow peeked out the window as a car pulled up to the driveway. She could see the brown and boxy letters reading UPS and she ran for the front door, leaving Tara behind at the table.

"It's here!"

Tara jumped from the book she was reading and hurried over to the phone. "I'll call Xaner and Giles."

"I'll get the car." Willow ran over to the kitchen and grabbed the keys off the table and called up the stairs for Dawn to come down.

"What?" Dawn asked when she reached the bottom, eying the excited Willow holding a newly opened box in her hands.

"We're finding Buffy tonight." Willow smiled up at her and she smiled back as Tara came out of the kitchen nodding. "Let's go." She turned back to the door, box in hand, and led them all to the car to meet at the Magic Box like planned.

This was it.

They were going to get her back safe.

This was the start to her fixing everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buffy's new look envisioned by Emolichic1. You asked and Buffy reveals. A lot. She reveals a lot. (Ha. Ha. chapter title.)


	15. Magic In The Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorrysorrysorrysorry -so-so-sorry for the late update. Like I said, school, got to graduate.
> 
> You can bet your bottom dollar that the cool stuff is coming. I know this story has a slow build but it'll be worth it, promise! (In a few weeks I'll hopefully be updating daily, as further incentive, in case you hated me? I don't know.)
> 
> Liking your comments/subs/kudos, but you know I love me some comments ;)
> 
> Oh just shut me up.
> 
> Enjoy.

Circled around the floor in the candle lit Magic Box stood and sat the Scooby gang all staring at the same squared out section created with twine and crystals, the last of which Willow put into place as Tara finished grinding the powder.

"Okay-" Willow started to explain, "-so the square is Sunnydale and when we say the enchantment and blow the powder over the area the two will combine and show us where the demons are. Normally it would have different colors for different demons and it's really cool, but, yeah, now since we have Spike's hair from the crypt, we add it in and he'll be a different color from everyone else. A really big bright color and we just compare it to the map and go there. We have Buffy's hair too but it probably won't work on her because….yeah. So we just have to hope they're together still."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Anya nodded as Xander's frown dug deeper and everyone circled in closer.

"What if they're not in Sunnydale?" Dawn asked.

"Then we'll have to get a bigger map." Willow answered. "We have enough ingredients for a few more spells."

"Done." Tara held out a small bowl for Willow who opened her palm and let her pour the sparkling purple powder inside, bringing it to her body and looking around to make sure everyone could see. She sent an extra look at Giles to make sure he was okay with what was going on and because, secretly, she really just wanted him to see her trying. Even if she, and everyone else for that matter, was still mad at him.

This was going to work.

Tara spilled out the shining granite colored powder into her own hand and nodded at Willow. The two gave a gentle nod to each other and closed their eyes allowing their bodies to sink to the ground as their consciousness floated around the space and the magic within them grew, building off one another.

Tara flinched the slightest bit as her power intertwined with Willow's. Willow had always been more powerful but ever since the spell to bring Buffy back it had gone even further. Even the simplest spell picked up on her measly witch radar and when it was something bigger, like this, the power was almost too much to touch. It physically shocked her and she didn't know what to think about it but she couldn't bring it up in the middle of a spell. That kind of power unleashed by a mad witch would spell big danger. Besides, Buffy was top priority and she could talk to Willow about it when she was in a better, stable state. When they had Buffy back she would.

Taking a deep breath and letting all that worry go she re-circled their power and started the enchantment. "Thespia, we walk in shadow, walk in blindness. You are the protector of the night."

Willow picked up where Tara let off and spread her power further, really pushing for the magic to do her bidding. "Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness, we implore you, open a window to the world of the underbeing. With your knowledge, may we go in safety. With your grace, may we speak of your benevolence."

The two leaned forward and simultaneously blew their respective powders into the square. With a blast of power that both could feel, different colors started to mix and swirl in with the purple and granite, lifting up above the square. Willow could feel the magic swirling inside and found herself dazed as the colors continued to get brighter and brighter. She fed more power into her desire and a rush spun through her. Heat flushed through her system and with a smile she caused the square to burst into heat as the color fell, spreading throughout the square in different shades of the rainbow. There, literally burning above the ground, off by the corner of the map was a small flame that continued to flicker brighter than the small dots of neon glow.

Everyone watched in awe at the color that shined and the ball of flames that Anya had to double check weren't burning her floor. Tara and Giles held the most worry though they concealed it the best. That spell worked far too well. Flames were not meant to be a part of the deal. They both knew it and deep down Willow knew it too. But she didn't care about that.

"Someone hand me a map." Willow held out her hands as someone thrust it at her and she double checked what she saw. "Well isn't that just dandy."

"Dandy?" Xander asked trying to see the map over Willow's shoulder. "Dandy good or dandy bad? Where is that?"

Willow pointed out the place on the map as she stared at the small ball of flame, knowing she was right about this. "It's the mansion. _The_ mansion."

"The mansion?" Dawn asked looking around at everyone for a better explanation.

"How could we be so stupid?" Xander laughed out loud in relief. "We didn't even think to check there!"

"Where is there?!" Dawn asked louder this time.

"It's the mansion where Spike lived." Willow explained. "It's the mansion where she kept Angel. It's where he died and where he came back from hell. _The_ mansion!"

"It's on the outer parts of town but we can be there soon." Tara smiled proud as she locked eyes with Willow. That smile soon fell as her eyes drifted to Giles who had a fixed frown in place. Something about the way he was looking at Willow didn't feel right and she knew the reason behind it.

"I'm coming." Dawn said definitively, always to be shot down.

"No Dawn, you stay here with Anya." Giles answered for everyone else.

"What?" Anya's burst out shocked. "Why do I have to stay? If Xander is going then I wanna go."

"Willow and Tara can combine their magic in use against Spike." Giles explained calmly. "You have no training when it comes to Buffy."

"Neither does Xander."

"Dawn needs someone to watch her."

"No I don't." Dawn chimed in with her arms crossed as she watched the twinkling lights in the square start to fade, the ball of fire getting smaller and smaller.

Xander turned to Anya and put a hand on her arm trying to calm her down in the only way he could. "I've been in more fights with her than you. Just stay here alright. I'll be back before you can say...banana sandwich."

"Why would I want to say that?" Anya pouted up at him but he refused to be defeated by the puppy eyes.

"I don't know. Just-Just stay here and be ready to open the cages." He passed her the ID card for the Initiative and she took it with a sigh.

"Alright. Just be careful. Spike may not be able to do anything but Buffy is better than you."

Xander took her insult with a smile and gave her a hug. "You be careful too." He turned to the rest of the lot, weapons always at the ready. "You're not drained after that spell witches?"

"No." Tara and Willow answered together, Willow a bit more excited about it than was necessary. She just felt ready to take on anything magical, Spike's special entrapment spell in her back pocket.

"Let's go."

Giles led as Tara, Willow, and Xander all followed and scrambled into the car on their way to the mansion. Anya and Dawn looked on from the door, both waving as they pulled away.

"I don't know how they plan on catching Buffy." Anya said. "She'll be too good for them."

Dawn chewed her lip as she looked off in the direction the car pulled out. "I'm sure they have a plan."

* * *

"God this place is a mess." Buffy maneuvered her boots around the rubble that was the mansion. It didn't always used to look this way. Some kids obviously found the place out and it looked like many a party had been thrown, graffiti written on the walls, old pizza boxes and beer bottles chucked around leaving shards of glass for everyone to step on. It would just take a bit of a fix up. Nothing her boys couldn't handle.

"Pig sty really." Spike kicked some beer cans on the ground and turned back to Angelus. "Home sweet home to you then?"

"It's not like I had a choice."

Hearing the argument coming Buffy chimed in before Spike could answer. "You both lived here so shut it." Looking around she started to envision the future she would have within the confines of the building. It was going to be the center of it all. It was going to be perfect. "Come on." She turned around and started back the way they came, reaching for the handle that would lead to the stairs. "I kept more chains in the basement- Oh. Hello."

There standing in the doorway was Giles, a stake in his hand, blood thumping away at an extra high pace, and the other humans hanging behind him. Buffy could feel that weird sense Willow gave off automatically, but really it wasn't like she didn't expect her not to come. How could she resist?

"Hello Buffy." Giles greeted somberly as he looked up and down at the demonized version of the girl he knew.

Buffy leaned against the door and frowned, sticking out her hip and glancing back at Spike and Angelus. "We're not quite ready for you yet. Give us an hour or two and we'll be right with you."

She started to close the door in his face but he caught it with a hand and stepped into the room, the other humans following. "I don't think this can wait."

Buffy watched one by one as each of their eyes bugged out at the sight of her. It was priceless to see their expressions at her new outfit. Xander's was of course the best. "Buffy?! I mean…I….wowza…I…What the hell are you wearing?!"

"Angel?" Willow, though her gaze did linger, had noticed the third vampire in the room.

"Angel?!" Xander's head snapped from Buffy's thigh and over to the undead ex boyfriend. "What the hell is he doing here? You join up with them too?"

"Angel there's still hope." Willow pleaded. "We're finding a way to save her."

"Right cus that worked out so well last time." Spike scoffed.

"Shut up Spike!" Willow snapped back. "You are so on our no-no list right now."

"No-no list?!" He sneered and shoved a finger in Giles' direction. "I bloody saved this ponce from killing her! You should be thanking me!"

"And I'm not with her." Angel chimed in from the back, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I've been tailing her."

"Tailing her?" Giles asked without taking his eyes off of Buffy who had started to move back towards the other two. He knew she could make a move at any moment. He wasn't about to let her have the element of surprise.

Angel quickly spouted out an explanation. "She met with me, thought she could take my soul away. I knew their gypsy and she tipped me off. The spell didn't work so I faked it. I faked all of it."

"Faked it." Spike glared over his shoulder at him. "You really are a woman."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Xander asked, gripping his stake just a bit tighter.

"I've been following her and this blockhead to see what they have planned." Angel shoved a finger in his direction before turning back to the Scooby gang. "I will be glad to fill you in _after_ we capture her. Which is your plan right?"

"Right-"

"So I suggest you quite yapping and start acting!" Angel yelled and the humans jumped into action, starting to span out around the group, all circling Spike and Buffy. The humans naturally all gave weary looks towards Angel, most familiar with his lying capabilities, but it wasn't as though it would make much difference. If he started fighting them, they would just fight right back.

Spike glared at each member the group circling around them and sighed dramatically. "I hate every one of you."

Buffy looked around with a smile on her face. Power was already coursing through her and though she hadn't drank in a day, she still had the excess blood from their feast at the pizza place running in her system. Her demon and her slayer combined, both primal instincts itching for a fight. Plus she had Spike on her side. The two of them hunted very well together. This was going to be too easy.

Angel was the first one to act and leapt straight for Buffy, raising a fist to clock her over the head. She saw the move a mile away and cut out his arm before he could reach, kicking his chest and sending him into a pile of glass. She turned towards Giles who had started in on her with the stake and twisted it in his hand, bending his wrist back, before tossing him away.

Xander knew he had to prioritize Buffy as the witches handled Spike but they needed a distraction as they started up their mojo so he jumped in. It wasn't like Spike would be much of a threat but he would do anything to protect Buffy and, though he had a hard time believing it, if it was really true Angel was helping then he could potentially get in the way by attacking his vampire nemesis. If that's what they were. He was still sketchy on the details.

"Well Spike, can't say I haven't been looking for a reason to do this." Picking up a splintered wooden board off the ground he reeled back and slammed it against the side of Spike's face, sending his head to the side while small patches of blood started beading up from where the splinters stuck inside. The same was happening on the palms of his hands but it was worth it.

Spike smirked and caught a drop of blood off his chin and stuck it in his mouth, sucking it down before turning back to his attacker. "Well whelp, I've been longing for this as well." Quick as a bullet Spike pulled up his fist and jabbed it into the front of Xander's nose, sending him tripping back against the miscellaneous rocks and rubble and forcing him to drop the board in the process.

Holding onto his face as spouts of blood started to trickle out of his nose he looked up at the vampire in horror. "But…but…you didn't….your chip!"

Spike chuckled as he slowly walked over to the human boy watching his body tremble just like it used to, just like it was supposed to. "What chip?" Another punch had Xander sprawled out on the floor, crawling back towards the girls screaming.

"Spike hit me! He hit me! His chip! It's not….it's not working! He can hurt us."

Giles and the girls heard his calls but they were too preoccupied. The girls continued to chant the spell they learned, directed at Spike, but it was hard when he kept moving about and they had to read off the same paper crouched behind the same rock. Eventually they had to try getting up and moving closer but they lost their cover. Giles was too busy focusing on Buffy. She had already hit him and kicked him enough times where he was sure any more and he'd have a broken rib. She was currently flipping off the ground and slamming her feet into Angel's head.

Angel's reflexes were fast as he grabbed her feet and swung her into the wall where she crumpled to the ground, figments of rock tumbling over her. He bent down and picked her up by the shoulders, holding her up so her head was level with his.

"So, _Angel_ , looks like we get that fight after all."

"And you're going to lose."

"You wish." She kneed him hard in the groin and he toppled over, her knee coming into contact again with his head. She did not hold back any of her extra power and he went flying across the room, almost hitting Spike on the other side. He didn't notice, or didn't care.

Having heard his pounding heart beating when he was within hitting distance, she turned and flicked Giles, a flick all she needed to send him flying, to the side and she strode her way to Spike who had picked up Xander off the floor and was hurling him towards the other two girls, Tara getting the full impact and sending her to the floor to be cut up and bruised by the rocks and glass.

"Having fun Spike?" Buffy asked with a smile as she saw the great big natural grin plastered on his face.

Giles ran back at her from behind and Spike wrapped both his arms around her, pressed her body close and spun them in a circle, his leg leading the turn and landing in Giles' side, just another example of their fluidity in a fight together. "All the fun in the world pet." With a squeeze he let her go and tipped his head at Giles' slumped figure. "Just wish I had that knife you gave me."

As Spike winked at her and Buffy returned his smile, Angel took a running start at the two of them. Buffy looked to Spike who pleaded with his eyes and she nodded. Smirking, he held out his arm and rammed it into Angel's neck sending him back down to the floor knocking any wind he was holding in his undead lungs straight out of him. He gave him a wink of his own but turned quick when Buffy gave out a yelp. She fell forward but he easily caught her in his arms and saw she had been punched in the back with a stake, the wood sticking out from her right shoulder. He quickly pulled it out and squinted as she quietly gasped at the pain but she quickly turned back to her attacker with a manic smile, her wound already on its way to healing.

She really should have seen that attack coming but damn if she wasn't distracted by Spike's arm almost lazily defeating Angel. It was almost comical, like he hit a wall. Well with arm's like Spike's, it pretty much was. He had more muscle than she knew what to do with. Well...that wasn't true. She could find a few uses for arms like those. But not during this fight. She couldn't be distracted again.

Xander stood there with wide, scared eyes as she smirked and picked him up by the collar of his shirt with one hand, lifting him from the ground. "The heart is on the other side. You really are useless, aren't you Xander?" She pushed him back hard into the two chanting girls and they both crashed this time, just like a couple of bowling pins. "Strike!"

Slowly Willow pushed herself off the ground, glass and rocks cutting into her sore palms, as she growled in frustration. The spell wasn't working because she couldn't concentrate. Her power was aching and churning but all that fighting was distracting. Any thought she had about that though was cut off with her scream as she looked at Tara. Her head had hit the side of one of the rocks in the fall, Buffy could smell instantly as the blood started to pour out. The change of the power in the room was instant and actually caught Buffy's attention sending a bit of worry through her system, something she hadn't felt since accepting her vamp-ness. No one's power matched hers. At least it wasn't supposed to.

She glanced at Spike and saw the bit of panic on his face as well. She could sense his power, Angel's, her own, the tiny dots that were the humans, but it was all getting mixed together. This wasn't good.

Willow turned back with a fury and everyone conscious could sense the change, Buffy most of all, as the sire's eyes darkened in color until all parts were a deep and dark pitch black. Words came out of her mouth on their own accord, no memorization or paper needed, as she stood straight and tall, turning completely to the vampires. Buffy could feel the tangible power surrounding her body and the tendrils of magic actually started to lick under her skin but it still didn't have much effect. However when she followed the power and looked to her side she saw Spike rising higher and higher, levitating off the ground. It wasn't a normal levitation spell though.

"Buffy!" Spike struggled against the spell but it wasn't just picking him up, he couldn't move, not a single muscle. She was paralyzing him. "I can't move!"

Willow continued to chant, angrier and angrier, as Spike rose higher and higher, the power coiling tighter and tighter, actually visible in the form of black smoke, spun around his body, a piece of it spinning around his mouth and clamping his jaw shut. His mumbled shouts were heard from under the magic and Buffy turned back to Willow, her arm raised, ready to punch that black color right out of her eyes, but just as she was closing in and screaming her way to the hit, she was grabbed back sharply and thrown against the floor. "I don't just wish. I know." Angel had a rock in his hand and before she could think to say anything else, he brought it down against her temple and she was out like a light, a different kind of black covering her eyes.

* * *

Spike slowly blinked his eyes open only to be greeted by an extreme harsh white light. Looking around he found himself stuck between four walls, three bright white and one of glass. Well this looked familiar…"Oh bloody hell. Not again."

"Spike?"

"Buffy?"

"Yeah." Buffy sat up and blinked around herself having just woken. Rubbing the side of her aching head she tried to get a better view but the light was so harsh on her sharp, sensitive eyes she couldn't make anything else out. "Where are we exactly?"

"Initiative holding cells."

"Well this is just great." It was coming into focus now. She could see past the white color and through the glass. The right angles of her cell didn't have her seeing much, just the destroyed ones opposite, but it was enough to see they were alone. Not a single heartbeat could be heard.

"Not exactly to plan is it?"

"Not exactly. I wouldn't worry though."

"Wouldn't worry?! Love, I've been in these things. Make you go right mad they will. No escaping these. Unless…" Thinking that the Soobies had messed up the cells in some way, unable to repair them (there had been a war in there after all), he started banging on the sides of the glass, kicking at the walls, and jumping to every corner with a fist. On the plus side, nothing was shocking him. Nothing was breaking either though.

"Don't worry Spike." Buffy shook her head as she listened to his freak out. If she knew her friends, and unfortunately she did, they wouldn't have put them in a broken cell. Especially not after finding out Spike didn't have a chip anymore.

"You know, you keep saying that." He paused his punches so she could hear him. "That attitude of yours is going to get us killed."

"Do you really want to fight now Spike? I can't even see you."

"Well I'd like to bloody well fight." He flipped around and sent a few more punches to her side of the wall. "We're stuck here, might as well do something." Looking up at the ceiling he gave an extra loud groan and twisted his body back at her wall to yell, even if he knew she couldn't see. He could feel her though. It was like he knew exactly where she was pacing in her cell. He could almost see her fixing her hair in the glass. "They're gonna feed us blood in a bag through the bloody vent. A bloody bag! And we'll be stuck with it. Cold. Angel is just laughing it up out there and-"

"And shut up Spike. Just find something to fill your time till we get out of here. What'd you do last time?"

"Last time I figured out a way to get out of here. Trick the guards. Doesn't look like we have any now."

"So come up with something else." She slumped against the wall with her back to his side, crossing her arms and inspecting the red polish on her nails. It was already starting to chip off. So much for that manicure. "What do you do when you're by yourself?"

Spike's suggestive chuckle could be heard through the cell and she could just picture him leaning back against the wall, a smirk on his face. "You really wanna know?"

"Should have guessed that shouldn't I?"

"Not nearly as fun when you're not here to give a helping hand."

"Oh you'd love that."

"They're up!" Tara's shout was easily heard between the two of them and they both started to glare at the door.

"Oh good." Buffy sneered at the door as the parade of human traitors came lining up for the show. Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Dawn. "Company."

While their presence was annoying, it was also slightly rewarding. Since Angel had decided to knock her out with a rock she didn't get to see the aftermath of their fight. It was a sight worth painting. Xander's nose had gauze wrapped around it, the bags of his eyes a dark purple, obviously it was broken. That was just amongst the various other cuts that were visible. He had a rather large gash leading down his forearm. She could just picture poking him in his side. The pain would probably be excruciating. Anya was forever hovering next to him but she of course was unscathed along with Dawn. Tara and Willow however had a different look about them. They didn't see much of the fighting except for the few thrown in their direction but they shared a few bruises each. Tara had a few bandages around her temple from where her head hit the rock and Willow looked about the same. But if Buffy squinted she could see the faint lines of the scratch marks she left on Willow's face from her first drops of human blood. They were almost healed but not quite there yet.

"Wills, I like the scar you got going." She made a motion across her own cheek and licked a slow line over her lips, watching as Willow's hand self-consciously flickered up to her face. "I hear chicks dig them." She smiled at her sire but unfortunately did not get a smile back, just a satisfying frown.

"So Spike, how's it feel to be behind bars, yet again?" Xander leaned up against the glass of the cage, knocking on it to exaggerate his point.

"Pleasantries, is it?" Spike walked as close to the glass as he could still able to lean over Xander even with the wall between them. "Well then whelp, how's your nose? Seems a bit broken there. Vast improvement if you ask me. Fixed your face up real nice."

"How were you able to do that?" Anya, clearly offended, pulled Xander back from the glass with her hand, pulling him into her side.

Spike cleared his throat and adjusted his coat, standing up taller. "In a manly, mind over body, master of my own domain-"

"That was me!" Buffy shouted out, far past her patience level with everyone's attention fixed on Spike.

"Buffy?" Anya turned her attention to the other vamp.

"I got his chip out." Buffy continued proudly, watching as the group shifted their attention. She could smell the wave of blood that wafted over with their simultaneous movements. God was that addictive.

"Well don't tell them that!" Spike shouted over the side.

"Like manly mind over body stuff is believable anyway." She scoffed over at him before leaning a hand up against the wall and displaying her unscathed body for the humans to see. No scratched lined her ultra-healing skin. They each took their turn giving her the sad pity look.

"How did you get the chip out?" Anya seemed to be the only one able to talk to her. Well Buffy took what she could get.

"Oh it was a bloody mess-", she smirked in Spike's direction, "-but turns out I like those now." The two vamps chuckled together as the humans watched, unsure of what to do with themselves.

Normally this would be the Scooby gang taunting session where they would get intel from the prisoner or tell Spike that he was a loser over and over again. This time she was on the other end and they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. Willow and Tara were doing their usual ' _I'll be your rock_ ' and _'you can cry on my shoulder'_ routine with their hands rubbing up and down each others' arms. Anya was trying the same on Xander but he was too busy playing with the front of his pockets to look at her. How did she put up with it? Dawn, too stunned at the sight of her very revealed sexified sister, just had to inch closer, pressing a hand up against the glass and whimper a pathetic little: "Buffy."

"Oh Dawn don't look at me like that." Buffy pouted back, crossing her hands over her body, and walked up to the spot her sister stood. "You look like a kicked puppy."

"You're gonna be okay." Dawn nodded her head, shaking it back when she felt tears starting to prickle. "We're gonna fix you."

"I don't need to be fixed."

Anya, apparently the leader now since everyone else was chickening out, walked up in the middle of the two cells and turned to each vamp. "We would like to know how you spent your time since you last left us."

"You would like to know if I killed anyone you mean." Buffy answered for her, Spike leaning up against the cell without really caring to answer.

"Yes."

Buffy nonchalantly leaned up against the glass with one arm and gave a shrug. "It wasn't like I didn't have help." With a pointed look to the direction of the entrance to the cells she asked, "Where is Angel anyway?"

Anya disregarded everyone's silent gasps at Buffy's admittance of murder to continue the interrogation. "With Giles. Telling him everything that happened."

"Oh I'm sure he is."

"Speaking of," Spike mused from his little corner, "I could really go for some wings right now. Say whelp, be a lad and get us some. I know of this one place that's just to die for."

Buffy's _'Really Spike? Again?'_ was drowned out by the shared shout of Xander and Willow. Both yelling, "Shut up Spike!" at the same time. Xander was just frustrated with the vampire, like always, but Willow was a bit more frantic. She read and re-read that article on the massacre at the pizza place over and over again trying to tell herself Buffy couldn't have done it. It was all her fault. It was like she killed all those people herself. She did this. They were dead because of her. She gripped onto Tara's hand even tighter, almost crushing, and stared at the ground, too ashamed to look her creation in the eye.

"Oooh, seems they already know it. Say Red, why don't you just magic us up some hmm?"

"Yeah, I kinda liked it when her eyes turned black." Buffy chimed in with a giggle and watched as everyone else whipped their head around to look at Willow.

"Black? Your eyes turned black?" Xander yelled.

"They- I…." Willow looked around helpless having no reasonable explanation. She didn't know they did that. Buffy could have been lying.

"Willow…" Tara looked on in concern, her hand giving an extra tight squeeze that meant they would talk about it later.

"Like, black black?" Xander continued to gape, peering into Willow's pupils as if they would change any moment.

"They didn't…I…I mean…." Willow couldn't get out a full sentence.

"Cat's got the witches tongue." Spike giggled to himself and Buffy joined in quietly but Willow was on him in a flash, her mood shifting quicker than her eyes had.

"Shut up Spike! You're the one that did this!"

"Me?!" He leapt up from his corner and slammed his fists into the glass, making everyone but Willow and Buffy jump. "You're the ones that brought her back wrong!"

"You took her away!" Willow yelled back, her anger already feeding the magic within her. She had to clench her fist to keep it in check. She could feel the power and she did not want anything to happen in these confined areas. Especially not with her eyes turning black. If they even were. "We could have helped her!"

"Oh right by driving a stake into her heart? Forgive me if I don't believe you and your fuck up parade."

"We weren't going to-!"

"Hey!" Xander shouted over the two of them. "We need to stop arguing. Fighting won't get us anywhere." Normally he would be all for it but with Buffy in there and Dawn right next to her, already on the verge of tears, they didn't need this kind of behavior. God save them the day he was the voice of reason.

"Seriously." Buffy snapped, her heads on her temples. Her sire's increase in magic along with her blood boiling just under the surface plus the blood of the other humans combined with the bright white walls was really starting to take its toll. "Giving me a headache in here."

"Seriously. When are we getting our blood?" Spike snapped at the rest of them, his eyes coming into contact with Dawn for the first time. Only momentarily did he let his glare waver but he was back to the others with hatred on his face in no time. "Chop, chop. Starving over here."

"Well not starving." Buffy giggled thinking about their meals from the past day. They hadn't eaten really since then though. Blood was starting to sound good and just the thought of it had her throat starting to burn.

"Just…wait." Xander awkwardly held out a hand, trying to wrap his mind around what he needed to do. Spike, he couldn't give less of a damn about, but Buffy needed it and well…as horrid a thought as it was, they couldn't starve her. They could but it would be inhumane. She wasn't really human but…jeeze it was complicated. "We'll get you some. Come on guys."

They all filed out one by one, Dawn the last to give a longing look at her sister before the fuck up parade exited the corridor and left the vamps to themselves.

"So Buffs." Spike leaned back against the door, aiming his head in her direction. "What's the pl-"

"Shut the fuck up Spike." Buffy snapped, walking to the opposite corner and gracefully sliding against the wall, slipping her hands on her leather skirted hips.

"What? What the hell did I do?"

"Nothing _wrong_. That's all me."

Spike grunted and mimed yelling profanities at the opposite wall, not that she could see. "No that's- that's not what I meant."

"Put a cork in it Spike."

"Buffy…Buff…Slayer?..." She refused to answer him instead found interest in her nails again. "Ugh stubborn woman." He kicked the wall in frustration and started pacing in the silence.

Buffy was stubborn though and she didn't answer. Seriously, even after she got his chip out and after he said he would always be on her side and even after she got him that knife, he still didn't see her as something that wasn't a total fucked up mistake? What was so wrong about her?

But that did have her thinking.

Stubborn woman….

Was Cordy still in the trunk?


	16. Dark Magic

"How are they?" Giles asked the rest of the Scoobies as they walked into the room where he and Angel sat, Angel being tied by a chain to the wall for the time being. It was an abandoned office, matching in the too bright and too white walls the rest of the Initiative had. Angel sat across the room as Giles turned from the work desk in the far corner. They never could get the computer to work.

"Both soulless as ever." Xander answered, slumping down into one of the many chairs they brought into the room. None of them were very comfortable. Military. "They're not really saying much."

"And what they do say is only to make us mad." Anya agreed.

"How's everything in here?" Tara asked, walking away from Willow, too mad at the _black eyes_ thing to be able to hold her hand.

"Just peachy." Angel answered, tossing his head against the concrete of the wall.

"Shut up." Xander spat back at him quick before turning to Giles.

"Angel has been running through the account of Buffy's..uh..." Giles tripped over the wording and nodded at Angel, ".…escapades."

"Alright well run it through us then." Xander said towards Giles, giving a quick glance at Willow and Dawn who were both still looking affected by the encounter, unmoving from the door.

"Would you girls care to…" Giles trailed off looking at the two.

"No." Dawn said, walking further into the room and sitting across from Angel. "Go ahead Angel."

Willow didn't answer but she didn't leave.

Angel sighed, ready to run through the story on repeat. "Buffy called to meet me half way between here and LA. Not long after I got a call from this gypsy I ran into a while back. She said my name came up, the vampire with a soul, and she said some other vamps wanted it outta me. She gave me descriptions, I put two and two together, and knew if you guys weren't holding her, then she was free to do whatever she wanted. I told the gypsy to muck up the spell, faked becoming Angelus, and traveled with them until yesterday."

"What about the pizza place? Tony's or Toby's or something?" Dawn asked hoping she sounded more ready for the answer than she was. She just wanted all the facts and she didn't want to be babied about it.

Angel looked her up and down before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I tried to talk them out of it but…I had to play along. I couldn't take both of them. Buffy is much stronger now than she was before. I pretended."

"You killed people." Xander supplied with total disgust.

Angel glared at him but didn't disagree. "I managed to get a few kids out the bathroom window, but that was all I could do. Then Buffy had us stop at someone's house, she killed the owners and we slept there. She did _that_ to her body and we drove to the mansion. Then you guys came."

"And you figured out what she's planning?"

"Yeah. It ain't pretty."

"What does that mean?" Xander asked.

"Well for one, she's got a big grudge against you guys." Angel replied with a sneer in his direction. "Then Sunnydale is on her list. Then…well everything."

"What do you mean list?" Xander asked stubbornly trying to get more information.

"I mean she's still a slayer. The list of things to kill has changed from demons and vampires to-"

"To humans." Dawn whispered out.

"But what does she plan to do?" Anya asked skeptically. "Kill everyone?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell us everything. I just know that she got Spike's chip out and that she has a grudge against humans. She plans on doing something big."

"We could have guessed that. Some help you are." Xander scoffed.

"I did my best alright? It wasn't exactly easy pretending to be that guy."

"Who is you if I remember things correctly."

"Hey!"

"Boys, leave it be." Giles held up his hand. "The hardest part is yet to come and we all need our rest."

"That's true." Tara nodded. "Now that we have them, we need to figure out what to do."

"And they want blood." Xander sighed.

"I'll stay to watch them." Giles said, nodding towards the blood compartment at the far end of the room. Xander walked over and picked up the lid with revulsion, picking up two of the baggies in his hand, trying to ignore the way they squished. "You all can go home."

"You can't stay here alone Giles." Willow said, ready to make a bed for herself on the chair if it meant avoiding Tara's talk. She also didn't really want to leave Buffy. She didn't want to see her but she didn't want to leave her.

"Well it's not like I'm going anywhere." Angel said holding up his bound wrist. "Which I don't see the point guys. I've already told you everything I know."

"Yeah Giles," Xander said ignoring Angel. "You're going to stay alone with three vampires? Two soulless and one ass hat. That's like suicide."

"I'm not gonna do anything, alright?" Angel stood up. "I can stay up during the night and Giles can watch during the day. Besides, there's not much they can do in those cages. Not much I can do with this leash on my wrist." It felt like the millionth time he was pointing it out but they all still ignored him. Maybe he should have lied about killing people.

Willow sighed, "Giles are you sure-"

"Go. I had already planned on staying. You have school and work. Your lives can't stop just for this. I will see you tomorrow."

"I want to stay." Dawn said softly.

"You have school." Giles replied calmly.

"She's my sister!"

"Yes and seeing her like this isn't going to change anything. It will only skew your assessment of the situation. You may do something you will later regret."

"I'm not going to let her out of the cage if that's what you mean."

"You are close with both of them. They both know how to manipulate you and without a soul they will have no trouble doing so. Your judgement will be compromised. I am sorry but you will just have to see them tomorrow."

"When I can be babysat you mean?"

"Dawn-"

She ran from the room before he could stop her, everyone sighing as they watched her leave. Only Buffy really ever knew how to handle her. Willow was usually the next to run and fix the problem but she wasn't in any state of being to help another human being. She was just staring at the ground near Giles' feet, too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Alright Giles." Xander said, looking around and shaking his head. He didn't like any part of this. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Giles." Tara said, walking out the room without taking Willow's hand. It took her a moment to realize her girlfriend left before she slowly walked out herself, without saying a goodbye.

"Goodnight all." Giles said in return.

Everyone left together and Angel was left pointing at his chain and gesturing towards his wrist. "Are you gonna-"

"Angel sit." Giles demanded, his comforting voice long gone, as he loomed over the vampire as best he could. "You and I both know I don't trust you. I have very good reason not to. I know you still feel for Buffy so if I see you step a single hair out of line, I will end you. There will be no freeing her from that cell."

"I have no doubt in my mind." Angel spat back before sighing and taking his seat back. "You have my word. I want to help her as much as you do."

"You should also know, as the others do, that I am prepared to end her life if it comes to it. Buffy never would have wanted this."

"She said you almost did." Angel's glare was continuous as he watched Giles take his place back at the desk where he started to flip through one of the few books he brought with him. "I understand. Though I will have an issue with that if it comes to it."

"Just think about it." Giles started to pretend to read, his eyes never leaving the vamp as he stared at the top of the page, waiting. "Prepare yourself for disappointment."

* * *

The Soobies all made their way home as the sunrise quickly approached and they trudged into the house as they all realized they had to be up and ready for the day within only a few hours. They were all exhausted, so the arguing didn't last long. It was just a final expression of worry for Giles that lead to the usual fight about their elder. Xander still felt it wasn't right to leave Giles alone with the vampires, Dawn agreed for the reason of Giles being willing to kill Buffy, and Anya...well actually she wasn't really all that worried. Tara usually didn't argue with them but she had been too on edge to control herself and said that Giles knew what he was doing and they shouldn't question him because he was the only one looking at the situation without bias. Without Buffy he was their leader and they needed to trust him.

Everyone stared at her with mouth's half open, all glancing at Willow as well. Over the past months it was ' _I'm in charge here!'_ from Willow over and over again so the fact that she was just staring at her girlfriend without saying anything meant real business. Of course Dawn was very ignorant to those things and argued about going back, skipping school, which caused Tara to snap at her. Tara never snapped at Dawn. It shut her right up and had her running to her room to slam the door. Xander and Anya followed as they decided to share Buffy's bed for the night, too tired to drive back home.

Willow had timidly followed Tara into their bedroom.

"Baby?" Willow called out but Tara didn't answer. She was busy was ripping off her clothes and quickly putting on her own pjs as Willow quietly shut the door and waited. Tara continued to ignore her staring until she turned to go towards the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Move please."

Willow looked her up and down in concern and shook her head. "No."

"Fine. We'll talk now." She stomped back into the room as Willow tentatively sat down on the edge of the bed. "How long have you been practicing magic Willow? Years? You know- you have to know the signs of a witch turning bad. Dark magic is very dangerous, it's not something to brush off."

"The only dark magic I-"

"I wasn't finished. Dark magic sucks in the best witches and warlocks and it changes them. That kind of power shouldn't be given. I understand that you only used it when bringing Buffy back but you can't just keep on using it! You are going to hurt everyone around you and then yourself."

"I didn't mean to use dark magic." Willow sputtered, trying not to get more upset than she already was. "But I was just so mad they hurt you! I didn't even know I was doing it."

"And that's what concerns me the most. Black eyes Willow? How long has this been going on? Didn't you feel the power in the demon locator spell? It doesn't need that much power. It was just supposed to glow, not catch fire!"

"I just wanted to make sure it worked."

"It was going to work either way!" Tara stopped her yelling and leaned against the side of their desk trying to calm herself. She rarely actually yelled at Willow and she didn't like one bit of the way it made her feel. "I don't want to lose you like this. I don't want to lose you ever."

"You're not going to lose me. It was an accident."

"You don't even know you're doing it. You're not in control of yourself."

"I am too in control of myself!" That little thrash of magic worked its way into her defense and she bit her tongue to stop from sounding angry at the accusation. "I just let a bit extra slip that's all."

"And what happens when that bit extra pushes you over the edge?"

"I'm not going over the edge!" Willow's tongue lashed and she couldn't keep that bit of anger down anymore. "I just wanted to make sure it worked. I need Buffy to be safe and be better."

"It isn't your fault! You shouldn't be damaging yourself out of misplaced guilt."

"You said it yourself, I used dark magic to bring her back. It was me!"

"It was all of us!" Tara let herself start yelling again, moving so she was leaning over Willow on the bed. "Don't put your feelings over all of ours. You're not the only one feeling guilty. We have to help her for her, and for Dawn, not because we feel bad. We will help her but not using dark magic."

Willow knew she had to agree. That was it. Just agree. She could pretend to get over the guilt, get over the fact that Tara was calling her selfish, work on a designated Scooby-safe way to helping Buffy, but she couldn't. Normally she would have, just agreed, just nodded her head in order to get Tara to stop being mad at her. Not this time. That bit of magic in her belly started to trickle out and it gave her the extra courage she needed to disagree.

"I will use dark magic if I have to. You're not going to stand there and tell me no while I watch Buffy like this."

"And I'm not going to stand by and watch you fall into darkness."

Tara grabbed a pillow off the bed and stomped her way down the stairs where she grabbed a blanket and curled up on the couch where Giles was meant to be. She couldn't stand it and she couldn't argue anymore. She had to get them past this. Intact and alive. Everything was going to be okay. Wasn't it?

Willow stared at the door a long time after Tara slammed it. She didn't know why she was so mad. It was one slip up, one little black eye incident, and she was saving Tara in the process. It wasn't going to happen again.

At least that's what she told herself as she stared at the vanity mirror and watched her pupils quiver with her anger.

* * *

"Buffy." Spike called over the wall from inside his cage as he chewed on his fingernail, tossing away anything that chipped off. Buffy had been rather quiet since the Scoobies had left and they had been fed their blood. He was staring to get tired though, day was approaching, and he didn't feel like waking up to her being pissy. "Are you just gonna pout in there all night?"

"I'm not pouting." She grumbled back as she stared up at the far too white ceiling. "I'm thinking of ways to kill you." All of her murder plans were very elaborate. For a government facility that attacked and contained demons and vampires, they didn't have much wood or sunlight.

Spike rolled his eyes at her wall. "I didn't mean it like it sounded. I just meant it's their fault that-"

"That I came back _wrong_. See, I knew you couldn't handle it. You just think I'm a fuck up."

"That isn't true. Not one word of it." She still didn't respond. "Yes, they brought you back wrong in the sense that you came back a vamp-"

"See!-"

"But that was their mistake. My gain. I wouldn't have you any other way Buffy. Buff. Slayer?"

She smirked up at the ceiling for a moment before putting her bitch face back on. "Oh so now I'm just a prize in your game? Trophy slayer vamp that you can show off to all your demon buddies?"

"Buffy." He groaned and pushed himself over to their conjoined wall, leaning an arm and his forehead against it. "I will knock this wall down and strangle you if you don't listen."

Buffy rolled over onto her side and stared at their separating wall, a smile on her face. "And what's strangling me gonna do? Turn me on?"

His eyebrows rose not expecting that response. Another benefit to soulless vampire Buffy. "Way to kink things up pet."

She chuckled with him for a moment before turning onto her other side. "But seriously, you could work on your phrasing."

"It's just the accent love. It makes you swoon so much you can't hear a bloody thing I say."

"Oh I swoon do I?"

"Can't help it."

She glared playfully at the wall, turning her body over and leaning over her knees on a crouch ready to attack with the leather of her skirt pulling taught across her ass. "If only there wasn't this damn wall here. I'd be laying it into you so good."

"I bet you would." He hummed back suggestively. "How much noise do you think we could make before gramps comes in to shut us up?"

"I don't know if we're talking about the same type of noise." She teased, moaning out loud in a way that she knew had his cock twitching. "But I bet it wouldn't take much."

Spike licked his lips in her direction knowing she knew exactly what she was doing to him. "Wanna see?"

"I'm so gonna kick your ass." She laughed as she could practically feel his smile. "But we don't have time."

"Don't have time?" He wined in defeat. "Buffy, we're stuck in a cage. We've got all the time."

"Spike. I said don't worry." She yawned and curled back up onto her side, using her arm to block out the lights. "So don't. Just go to sleep"

"Alright." He said unbelievably before curling up against the wall he leaned on. He took a moment to contemplate just how alone he was, his finger sliding under the button of his jeans but before he could even undo the zip and start that Buffy moan on replay in his head she just had to ruin his fun.

"No Spike. Sleep. Not masturbation time. I don't need to hear that when I'm trying to sleep."

"When do you need to hear it?" He groaned when she didn't answer and contemplated ignoring her but he ended up pulling his coat over his body like a blanket and sprawling out on the ground. "Whatever you say boss."

* * *

Giles hadn't slept much that night while watching Angel. He hadn't let him out of his chains and he hadn't talked with him either. He kept an eye on both vamps in the cages as well. They had all fallen asleep hours ago.

He double checked Angel was out when he reached into his bag and brought out _Chthonic Gods: Spells From Below_. The spell would take a long time to prepare and he didn't want Angel asking what he was doing. There was an empty room nearby where he could combine ingredients but he could not be interrupted. It was going to take him the better part of the day and if he had any stalling then the kids would return before he could finish and they would not allow him to continue.

Angel remained asleep as he took the book and his bag into the next room and started to prepare.

* * *

Multiple long hours later Giles walked into the bright corridor where Buffy and Spike were leaning against their walls taking turns sitting silently and bantering back and forth. He would have preferred them sleeping but perhaps their annoying talks would wake him enough to do the spell. Over 30 hours with no sleep was not the best time to be doing magic.

"Gramps!" Spike was the first to see him. "We were just talking about you!"

"Charming." He sarcastically responded, not needing to guess what they were talking about, before walking even further down the hall and up some stairs.

"Oh I think he's got blood for us." Spike rubbed his hands together, sarcastically. Really he didn't want the pig's blood anymore, not since he finally got a taste of the pure and human. Still Giles did not respond as he walked over their cages and dropped the blood bags in.

"How's it feel Giles?" Buffy called up to him as she listened to his footsteps walk across her ceiling. "To know that I've been drinking blood this entire time. That when you came back, you hugged me and you didn't realize I was dead. To feed it to me now, just to keep me alive because you weren't able to kill me in the first place."

Giles didn't answer her, just continued to drop the blood bags down before climbing down the latter. He didn't want to chance giving anything away. If he mixed it correctly not even they would be able to smell the added ingredient in both their blood bags.

Spike chuckled, "Oh doesn't look like he wants to play Buffy."

"He always was a stick in the mud." Buffy agreed. "It's alright. Never really expected a big reaction from him. He's more of a suffer on the inside type."

"Watchers."

"So much for his watching skills. Couldn't even tell a vamp if it was right under his nose!"

They both start laughing hysterically as Giles walked down the hall, his gaze centered on the floor.

"Giving you a hard time?" Angel asked sympathetically having heard the entire conversation. "Maybe I could talk to them. Maybe-"

"It's fine Angel."

"Alright. Just…if you want to go to sleep, you know…" He dangled his cuffed hand in front of his body.

"I don't think I'll be sleeping today." Giles answered. "I have far too much on my mind."

"Sure. Well maybe when the gang gets here I can have a talk with them. You'd still have to let me out though."

"I don't think you'll have time for that." Giles sighed and grabbed out a knife from his back pocket and slowly walked to Angel pulling a small bowl out from his front.

"What do you think you're doing?" Angel scooted up against the wall, his eyes never leaving the knife.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"I'm pretty sure it concerns me if you plan on using that!"

Giles walked closer, very aware of how much free range Angel had but all he needed was a drop. Angel continued to watch as he got closer and lashed out against him when he made a move, kicking out the watcher's hand. Still he couldn't deflect enough and the blade just nicked the skin of his arm. It was enough to cut a small slice and bring a bit of blood onto the tip of the blade. That had to be one hell of a sharp blade.

Angel watched open mouthed as the blood was tapped into the bowl and Giles moved back towards the desk. He had moved some of his magic equipment back into the room, needing it for reference when he got the drop of vampire blood.

"Well it can't be good seeing as how you're not planning on telling any of the kids. _Chthonic_ _Gods: Spells From Below_?" Angel read the cover out loud. "Isn't that some pretty dark magic?"

"Like I said. It does not concern you."

"I thought magic doesn't work on Buffy. You planning to attack Spike? Cus I don't really see what that's gonna do. Not that I'm against it."

"Natural magic will not work on her. As you said, this is not natural." Giles continued to prepare his things, adding herbs to Angel's blood as he watched.

"Well what do you plan on doing?" Angel pulled on his chain harder, trying to rip it from the wall without being too noticeable.

"Her soul cannot be returned. But with dark magic I can remove what was brought back with her. It will solve part of our problem in the meantime."

"Wait…" Angel stopped juggling his chain and looked towards the corridor where the other vamps were stuck. "You're gonna take the demon out of her? You can do that?"

"She will be a human without a soul. Still dangerous but much less so than a vampire."

"Somehow I think I should be taking offense to this."

"If the children return early, prevent them from disturbing me. Once I begin, I cannot stop and I do not want one of them to get in the way. The consequences could be…alarming."

"What if I were to get in the way?" Angel asked apprehensively. "I have a soul. Could you turn me back into my human self?"

"This is very dark magic Angel. It should not be touched by someone with a soul. I do not think you would like what comes out on the other side."

"If it's so bad then are you sure you should be using it on Buffy?"

Giles left without another word and gathered his things, bringing them all into the hall and laying them in front of Buffy's cage.

"Uh-oh. I don't like the looks of this." Spike leaned against the door trying to look less worried than he was as he tossed his empty blood bag to the ground. "What's with the toys?"

"Giles?" Buffy crouched down in front of the glass, knowing full well he could see up her skirt as his eyes continuously focused on the stuff he had and the book he was reading. She couldn't make out what it was from her spot but the objects looked familiar. "I thought we figured out magic couldn't work on me. Did you forget already?"

"I'm still here Buffy." Spike reminded her.

"Why would they do magic on you? No offense but they don't care about you."

"None taken."

"Plus it would be Willow." For the first time since she had been trapped in her cell a moment of panic fueled adrenaline coursed through her body. "Why isn't Willow here Giles? What're you doing?"

Buffy swallowed down her panic as Giles adjusted his glasses and started to dump measured ingredients into a large bowl with sharp and edgy engravings carved around it. She couldn't tell what anything was, the smells were mixing too much and the cell was too thick to be able to distinguish. All she knew was that it was definitely going to be bad if no other human was with him and Angel was nowhere to be seen.

Another look down at the chanting Giles and she started to get genuinely worried. Something in the air was off that she knew wasn't supposed to be there. It was a heat that was pooling around Giles and it was only getting stronger with every new word and every new ingredient.

He dumped a small bit of something from a smaller bowl into the big one, something she instantly could smell was vampire blood, even above all the other smells and whatever it was mixed with. The lights went out completely. In the dark she could still see, emergency lighting helping, and it was then that she caught Giles' eyes. They were totally and completely pitch black combined with tendrils of red pulling across the skin of his face and down to his arms.

"Oh bloody hell." Spike whispered out as he started kicking the glass door again. Buffy and he knew it was pointless but whatever Giles was doing obviously wasn't something they needed to stay for.

"Angel!" Buffy called out. "Angelus get the fuck over here _now_!"

"Did you really miss me that much?" Angelus smirked as he casually skipped into the room, cuff of his wrist, flipping an ID card in between his fingers, landing behind the continuously cursing Giles.

Spike grunted and gave an extra hard kick to the door as Buffy snapped at him. "You know, you didn't have to let them actually capture us! We coulda locked them up then."

"What and miss you behind a cage? You make a mighty fine gogo dancer."

"You coward-" Spike snapped and Angelus stopped flipping the key card.

"Hey, I wasn't about to be captured! They would have killed me. That Willow has mojoed up since –"

"They could have killed us!"

"But they didn't!"

"Why didn't they kill you?" Buffy asked sharply. "What info did you give them?"

"Don't worry, I didn't tell them everything. And now we know what they were planning for you. Win win!"

Giles had been struggling the entire time, both trying to reach out for the card from Angelus, to scream, to say anything, but the spell was weighing him down. That heat was building faster and actually had the vampire taking a step back.

"I would love to hear more after you get us the hell out of here before he finishes whatever the fuck he's doing!"

"Right. Turning you into a human."

"He's what?!" Buffy started kicking down the door as well. "Get us the hell out of here!"

"Hold your horses." He slipped the card through Buffy's door and she ran out, grabbing the card to do Spike's. It didn't work on the first try and Spike started screaming in the black eyed Giles' direction.

"Would you just kill him already?!"

"I'm not killing someone in the middle of dark magic!" Angelus yelled. "I may not have a soul but I don't want it mucking up my pretty face."

"Buffy, I don't like the look of that bowl."

Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw that heat had complied into a very bright orange thick liquid, almost resembling lava, that was starting to bubble up higher and higher, Giles unable to move from it as it shone more light on his face. The red tendrils started to brighten to match the liquid's orange, shining under his skin and making him appear translucent in the vibrant and eerie glow.

Another swipe of the key card and she had Spike's door open. "Let's get out of here."

Buffy allowed the others to lead, running up to the second floor, but didn't want Giles finishing off his spell, no matter how far in he was. She dipped down on the other side of the burning bowl and sank down next to his form. "Well daddy dearest, it's been fun." She switched out of her human form and into the demon he was trying to eradicate as she lifted his chanting body up and sank her teeth down, gulping as much blood as quick as she could and stopping his chanting before letting his body slump over the magic bowl, covering it like a lid. The taste was definitely bitter and not in a good way. Dark magic didn't taste as good as she thought it would.

"Buffy?" Willow called out in shock at the sight of Buffy's black lips, tainted with Giles' tinted blood.

"Your timing is just…frustrating." Buffy smirked as she licked the gross blood from her fingers and ran past the shocked Willow, the other humans far out of sight.

"Buffy what did you do?" Willow whispered looking at Giles' body slumped around a multitude of magical elements. She could see raven feathers, red and black crystals, a mix of white and black candles, jars containing holy water and a liquid that looked far too yellow to be natural, and other spices, herbs, and flowers she couldn't discern from a distance. All she knew was that was a lot of dark stuff. A lot of it. It had to be a giant spell. And it was apparently still going on. She could feel all the magic of the spell in the room, dark and pulling and inviting. Giles' body rested over the orange in a large bowl, the heat of which she could feel from where she stood. It started glowing brighter and brighter under his body, lighting the hallway in the dark.

"Don't give her all the credit!" Angelus called down. "Do you know how insufferable it was to have to put up with these humans all night long?"

"Angel?" Willow whispered without looking at him.

"Nope. So close."

"Angelus."

"You guys really are retarded aren't you?"

"See I didn't lie to you guys." Buffy said when she reached the other two vamps. "In fact, since you've lied to me so much, I'm going to make it a point to never lie to you. So let me tell you this, you will be seeing us very soon. Anyone who tries to step foot in the mansion will die. You don't have Giles to protect you anymore."

A loud pop caused everyone to snap their attention to Giles' body. The orange was glowing more harshly than before and he could no longer get in the way of the ribbon of thick liquid that seemed to move on its own accord, floating up higher and higher into the air, going directly towards the vampire group.

The three of them started to slowly back away towards the door, keeping their eyes on the odd magical thing.

"I don't know about you two but I'm getting the hell out of here." Angelus said, backing up faster towards the door. He didn't even know if the sun was out that day but he sure as hell wasn't going to go up against the orange blob of dark magic.

"Sounds peachy, goldie locks?" Spike asked hurrying as well.

"Go!" Buffy turned and ran as fast as she could following the other vampires. Angelus was the first to the door to the hallway, running through without looking back. Spike was a close second, grabbing it and holding it open, but the blob was too quick. Powered by some unseen force it cracked back and made its way straight for Buffy. Spike reached out and pushed her through the door, slamming it behind her, leaving him to get the full force of the blow.

It burned.

Everything burned. His entire body was engulfed in the stuff and he fell to the floor writhing in pain. All that heat circled his mind and he couldn't move out of it. He couldn't stand. He just kept screaming and screaming as he felt himself being torn up from the inside. He couldn't hear Buffy calling his name, he couldn't feel her lifting him up, he couldn't hear Angelus complaining, he couldn't see that they escaped to a cloudy day, all he could see was orange.

Tara ran in when she heard the sounds of screams, Spike's screams to be precise. She looked around and saw the vampires escaping, Willow in the room but not watching. She was just about to scream and check Willow to make sure she was unharmed but she then followed her girlfriend's gaze.

"Giles? Giles? Giles! No! Giles!" Tara ran forward and moved his body off the big bowl. There was a giant burn mark in the form of a circle across his chest making his skin bubble and the clothes surrounding it melt into the wound. On his neck she could see to large puncture marks, the marks of a vampire.

"Xander, don't let Dawn in here." Tara called in a harsh whisper over her shoulder.

"Oh no." Xander saw what Tara did and turned back quick grabbing Dawn by the waist and dragging her back. "Come on Dawn."

"What-" Dawn asked fighting, worried her sister was hurt. "What is it?"

"Dawn, no-"

"What is it?!" She thrashed harder and harder. "What happened?!"

"Just come on-"

"No!" She gave an extra good push and managed to crawl out from under Xander's arm. "No." She fell to Tara's side and put a hand on Giles' arm, shaking him gently. "Giles? Giles?!"

Willow couldn't move. She couldn't find herself able as she replayed Buffy dropping Giles' body over the orange glow, the fire that consumed his chest and arched through the sky. She heard Spike's screaming but didn't see it. She couldn't see anything. She just felt this absolute pain somewhere in her chest, something that she couldn't understand, she couldn't mend. Something was churning within her, making her sick to her stomach, and she fell. Directly onto the floor without warning. No one saw the smoke that escaped her palm or the black that flitted through her eyes. They just came to pick her up and move her out of the room as they did Dawn. She didn't even know who they were. She just knew…

Giles was gone.

Buffy killed him.

She created Buffy.

This was all her fault.

She was going to fix it.

No matter what the cost.


	17. Changing

Buffy growled when Angelus literally dumped Spike's unconscious body onto the cleared off couch when they reached the mansion. She ran over to the side and knelt in front of him, moving his head so it lay on top of the rest. An angry orange glow was still coursing through his system and shining just under the surface of his skin making him too hot to touch.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" She felt his forehead and pulled back sharply at the burning effect his skin had.

"A lot of things. One of which is jumping in the magical lava fountain."

"You know what I mean." She pushed from the floor and glared at Angelus. "Now tell me. What was Giles doing? Exactly what?"

Angelus rolled his eyes and cleared off a part of a table that looked like it would support his weight and leaned against the side. "Dark magic. The point of the spell was to take out the demon. He'll be human, without his soul. But the spell was meant for you so the side effects could be worse."

"Side effects? What side effects?"

"Don't know slayer. I don't do magic. I like to be a bit more hands on." He rubbed his palms on his inner thighs and winked but she was too pissed for his jokes.

"They'll suffer for this." She turned back to Spike and glared as the light fluctuated, dimming then brightening, over and over like a heartbeat, lighting them and the rest of the room. "All of them."

Angelus groaned, "You are such a _tease_. Why can't we just kill them already?"

"We can't kill them now! We need them to put him back together." She pointed back at Spike and bit the bottom of her lip with concern she couldn't get rid of. "Why isn't he waking up?"

Angelus shook his head as Buffy started pacing by the couch. "Fine," he said. "You do your whole brooding thing and I'll go kill Cordy. If she's not already dead in the trunk."

"Angelus-"

"Fine!" He threw up his hands and backed towards the door. "Not kill. I'll just pick her up, tuck her in, and read her a bedtime story!" He threw a finger in the air as he turned and dropped his voice a pitch to resemble that of a narrator. "There once was a bitch named Buffy. She died and came back a hussy. She let no one have fun. Till she baked in the sun. Ashes weren't nearly as bossy."

Angelus slammed the door and Buffy knelt down next to Spike again, resting a hand over his jacket instead of his skin to avoid that burn, ignoring Angelus' impromptu poem.

Spike didn't react at all. Not a single muscle moved. He looked completely dead, which was normal sure, but still. He usually at least kicked in his sleep. It was sad that she knew that, she thought, but he did and he should have been moving at least a bit. That orange glowing beat just kept burning away and even with her hand over the leather she could feel the heat. She couldn't imagine what he had to be feeling. Maybe it was best not to wake him.

All she could do was replay it over and over again in her mind. Giles' chanting, the orange stuff growing in the bowl, the bitter taste of his blood, the running. She remembered what happened exactly. She felt the heat getting closer and closer as she followed Spike and Angelus but before it reached her a hand splayed on her back and shoved her hard. She was mad for a second, thinking Spike was shooing her along because of some chivalrous macho reason. But then she turned and looked into that tiny window on the door, his face just in view. He showed so much shock followed by so much pain and so much screaming. She couldn't get the screaming out of her head.

Why did Giles have to mess everything up with that spell? Why did dark magic work on her? Well actually she didn't know that. Spike saved her before they could find out. Why did he have to go and do that? Why did he always have to save her? Why did he always have to love her?

"You idiot." She shook her head and ignored the feeling of tears springing up behind her eyes.

God she wasn't crying over this. She didn't even have a soul!

But she couldn't help think over all Spike did for her since she fell from heaven and how much he helped. How even though she had adjusted to the vampire unlife she still found herself needing him more and more.

But Spike was going to be fine! They didn't even know if the spell worked. She killed Giles before he could finish! Besides, the spell was meant for her, not him. Maybe it wasn't going to complete. Maybe it wouldn't work at all. Or maybe he would be stuck like this, unable to wake up.

Maybe it would kill him.

"Spike, I don't know if you can hear me…But you're going to be alright. We're going to fix this. And then you and I are going to take them out together. We'll make them suffer for what they did to you. They won't get away with it. You'll see. It'll be me and you fighting, just like we always do. You won't let this get you down. You'll wake up and you'll be bitching about saving me in no time. I'll bitch back at you and it'll all be okay. You'll see."

* * *

"What's that?" Tara asked Willow from the doorway of one of the rooms in the Initiative, gesturing towards the book in her hands.

Willow had been distant since recovering from her fainting spell and hadn't talked much to anyone other than saying who killed Giles. Just one name. Buffy.

Dawn was left to watch her while the rest moved Giles to a better, more discrete location until they could make sure he wasn't going to turn.

"He looked like he was doing a spell." Willow didn't take her eyes off the book as she talked, her distant gaze flickering across the page, not really reading anything. "This was the book near him. I thought I should read it. Thought I should figure out why. What he was doing."

Tara nodded, heartbroken at her love's cut off voice. She wanted to sit down next to Willow and wrap an arm around her, tell her it was going to be okay, let her cry it out. She had just seen Giles die first hand. She had to have been feeling something more than this. But she just couldn't. It was like there was an invisible wall keeping her out. "Have you found anything?"

"This is all such dark magic." Willow shook her head and continued to flip through the pages. "He was yelling at me earlier for using it to bring her back and now he's looking at it? I don't know why. Magic didn't work on her."

"Maybe dark magic does." Tara said shifting her weight wanting to both peek at the book herself and tear the temptation away from Willow's hands. There was no predicting what she was thinking, especially after what had just happened.

"But would he really use dark magic on her again? Look what that did last time."

"Maybe he had a plan."

"Maybe." Willow said doubtfully as she flipped another page. She wasn't truly reading it like she should have been. She just felt this pull to keep flipping pages.

Ever since she passed out she noticed this empty hurt in her chest that was filled by something heavy, pushing her towards the room where it all happened. Giles had been moved and the magic surrounding him was on full display. Her eyes went straight for the book with its thick pages, dark cover, and such faint symbols she almost thought she imagined them. She just had to pick it up. Now she couldn't put it down.

"Maybe he wanted to use it on Spike." Tara said with a shrug, pushing for Willow to at least look at her.

"Why though? What would dark magic on Spike do compared to regular magic?"

"Well, did you find out which spell he used?"

"No. Not yet."

Tara stood a moment more, rubbing a hand over her own arm. "Okay…Let me know if there's anything I can do."

Willow didn't answer so Tara left without a response, dipping into the room with everyone else. Dawn was crying in the corner as Anya held her in a rare sign of compassion. Xander had his head in his hands as he stared at Giles' bag on the floor.

"I can't believe Angel tricked us." Xander growled out at the room when Tara took her place on the other side of Dawn. "Again."

"Well I don't know much about him but…" Tara said looking around and over at the wall where Angel… Angelus…was cuffed. There was a small key near the wall that he used to escape. Not one of them knew how he got it. "Well, he sounds like he knows how to make himself convincing. If you out-ed him earlier it just would have meant more would have died."

"That doesn't mean Giles had to." Xander said. Dawn hiccupped into Anya's shoulder and she sent a quick glare to Xander.

"Are you okay Dawn?" Tara knew it was a dumb question but she had to do something for her. For someone. She took up the young Summers' hand and Dawn picked herself up from Anya and rubbed at her wet eyes with her palm.

"I'm starting to w-worry that-that maybe he was right. That maybe there is nothing we can do for h-her. I just don't think I can- think I can- I can't-"

"Shhhh. I know." Tara pulled Dawn into her shoulder and felt her eyes start to prickle with similar tears as the young girl sobbed harder. She pulled her close into a hug and started to rock her back and forth, rubbing a hand through her hair and down her back. "I know. It's okay. We'll figure something out. It's okay. Shhhhhh."

* * *

It had been so long that she was almost hoping a vampire would open the lid. She stopped screaming and hoping that a human would let her out, get her help. It was just her, bound and gagged, stuck in the trunk of Angel's car, waiting for her death to come. She had thought that dying in the trunk might have been better than whatever the vamps had planned but the more dehydrated she got, the more she sweat out whatever water she had, and the more her self-preservation kicked in. When she heard the key turn and the latch click open she couldn't help but feel relieved, excited, and terrified.

"Well look at you Cordy," Angelus loomed over her, his arm hanging over the lid of the trunk. "Still alive after all." Trying to say ' _fuck you'_ to Angelus didn't go very well with the duct tape but he heard. "Oh there will be plenty of time for that later doll face."

She was dragged out of the car roughly and thrown over the vamps shoulder. She didn't have enough energy to even try and push away. She just slumped down and tried to breath in the air she could while adamantly trying to ignore the smell that Angelus and Angel shared. In her borderline delusional state she couldn't help but feel comforted by it, though the source was probably the one that she should have been worried about most.

Angelus dragged her into some building, she thought it might have been made of stone, she really didn't know, everything was just blurring together. All she knew was she bounced down some stairs, was tossed down onto a hard dirt ground in a very dark place, and cold metal was clamped around her wrists. The sound of chains clanged as her arms were pulled over her head, her body slumping as she was dragged to her feet.

There was a certain stretch that was well received after having been curled in that tight space for so long but she knew it wouldn't last long and that the pain would follow as the blood would leave her arms.

Her skin itched as fibers from the car stuck to her body, unable to scratch them off with her hands bound up. Then of course there was the scratching in her throat. Any moisture had long been gone and her tongue sat heavy in her mouth.

"This what you want?" Angelus shook a bottle of water in front of her face as if he had been reading her mind. Her head lolled in response, slowly blinking her eyes open at the sound of the water. "Oh, hang on." He reached out and took up the corner of the duct tape near her ear and pulled hard, the stinging making her gasp out in shock at the added pain.

"Sc-screw screw you Angelus." Cordy gasped out before jerking into a fit of coughs.

"Now, now, now. Is that any way to be talking to the man who's saved your life?" Cordy glared at him best she could from under heavy lids. A large part of her really just wanted to sleep. "I bet you're dying for a drink right now." He chuckled and walked up in front of her, close enough to feel the heat of her body but wary of those legs that could pop out at any second.

"What's it been? Over 30 hours without water?" He swirled the bottle in front of her face, watching as her eyes turned with the water. He smirked and twisted the cap open, her mouth falling open in response. "Buffy said to let you die of thirst but I-" He hummed deep as he took a gulp, Cordy's face falling as she watched. "Thought you should have some. If you asked nicely."

He chuckled again as Cordy's longing look turned into a glare. "No? Are you sure?" He dipped in close and caught her eyes searching around their defiance for that tiny shred of subservience.

A quick smirk all the warning she had before he slammed his mouth against hers and forced his tongue inside. She couldn't fight back, she didn't have the energy, and it was just too spontaneous. His wet tongue slid against her dry one and she thought about biting down, hoping to make him bleed, but it was the first ounce of liquid in over a day. And it was coming from his tongue. Gross as that was she couldn't bring herself to do push him away. He smirked and slowly rolled his tongue around hers, dipping behind her teeth, and swiping across her dry bottom lip before diving back in again. This time she shook her thoughts and chomped down hard and fast and kept biting down until Angelus finally pulled away with a grunt and a laugh.

He walked a few steps away and left the opened bottle on the floor, just out of reach of her legs. Before Cordy could say anything he was already up the stairs and shutting her into the dark, leaving her to dry swallow the meager amount of moisture he left in her mouth.

* * *

"Willow?" Xander called out from the door. Tara had asked him to pull Willow out and bring her back to the house though she wouldn't tell him why she couldn't do it herself.

"Yes Xander?" She flipped another page, refusing to look up at him.

"Um. Everyone is going home now. Tara and Anya are taking Dawn back I mean."

"You're staying here?"

"Yeah." He coughed in the silence and pointed towards the room where they stowed Giles. "To look after…to make sure they didn't…Yeah, I'm staying here."

"I'll stay with you." Willow finally picked her head up from the pages and glanced at her friend in the door. He looked completely exhausted, defeated, like he wouldn't be able to stand another moment of this.

"No." He entered the room despite that crawling feeling he had going down his spine. "Dawn needs you. Tara too."

Willow wanted to argue but couldn't find the right words without sounding completely selfish. She closed the book in on itself and started for the door without another word.

"Wills?"

"Huh?"

"How are…are you…"

"I'm alright." She nodded her head back towards the cells and frowned. "As I can be."

"You're taking that book with you?"

"I need to find the spell Giles was doing."

Xander nodded, a pain hitting him at the mention of Giles' name spoken so casually. Willow was just in shock he thought. She would be better after a night with Tara and the girls. They could all get through it together.

"Goodnight Willow."

"Night Xander."

She left and he stared for a few moments longer than he needed to. Then he slowly walked over to the room they put Giles in. He pulled a chair over next to the body and stared at the opposite wall. He had a full night of staying awake ahead of him.

One thing they couldn't find in the Initiative building was sheets. Giles had to be laid out on the table completely open. It was hard to ignore the smell of the burn on his skin and of his clothes and the sight of it was even worse. It looked so angry and volatile and every time Xander accidentally peeked it made his stomach churn to think of that pain. Then his eyes would eventually glance up at the two puncture wounds on the neck, the reason he was there. Only a small bit of blood had leaked out and it didn't look right at all. The blood was too dark, black. An unnatural color that contrasted harshly on the pale skin of their former teacher.

"Giles…" Xander whispered out, keeping his eyes focused on the opposite wall as he reached over to the table where Dawn placed Giles' glasses. He picked them up and replaced them with the stake he held in his hands.

They were grimy and broken, chipped in the right eye. It was so wrong. With the way Giles cleaned them so often he never saw them with a spec of dirt. It was all too much.

Xander let the tears that he had been holding back around the girls silently flow over as he stared into the broken spectacles. The anger that had been running through his system slowly came back to overpower him.

"I'm sorry Giles. We should have listened to you but we…we couldn't have. We'll fix it, alright? The Scoobies may be out of commission for a bit but not for long. We never lie down for long. We'll roll right over, we'll find her and we'll fix this. Promise. No matter what we have to do."

* * *

Hours had passed and Spike was still completely out on the couch but the orange glow had at least dimmed. Buffy didn't know whether that was a good thing or not yet.

"What do you think would happen if I changed him?" She asked Angelus who had been impatiently pacing around the room, taking turns leaning on different things, and kicking up bits of rubble.

"Vampire turned human by dark magic turned vampire by slayer-vampire? Sounds like one of those soaps he loves so much."

Buffy chuckled as she stared at Spike's neck for the millionth time. He was still dead, no heart to be heard or seen pumping. It was probably better that way, not to change him. She was still nauseous from Giles' blood earlier and the thought of drinking again wasn't all that appetizing.

"Well as much fun as this is," Angelus pushed up from the wall he was leaning on, kicking out multiple pieces of discarded stone. "I'm going to grab some grub. Cordy's stinking up the basement and if I don't get something in me, she's up for dinner."

"Go ahead. I'm going to stay here."

"No take-out? I can wrap up a virgin to go. You eat her out while I eat her. We can make her lose two things in one night."

"No, I'll go out later."

"Fine. More virgin for me."

In a flash he was out the window and she was left staring at Spike, chewing on her manicured thumb, and waiting for him to wake up.

One twenty seven year old and two pre-teens later and Angelus was skipping into the dark of the basement, waking the passed out Cordelia with a slap across the face. "So Cordy, ready to ask nice yet?" All she could do was groan in response. That was enough to send him into another fit of chuckles. "I'll take that as a yes then."

It wasn't as though she had given up. In the dark she had tried to reach out for the bottle with her feet, scratching at her cuffs, yanking down as hard as she could, but nothing worked. All she ended up with was sweating out more water and draining what was left of her energy.

Angelus picked up the bottle, noticing the scratches in the dirt, and turned back to the girl. "How bout this…you beg and we'll do body shots. I wouldn't mind your mouth in a few significant places. I know Angel always wanted to know how quick your yappy mouth could swallow his dick wh-" Cordy kicked out as hard as she could, her body twisting with the chains, but he hopped out of the way before she could make contact. "Oh! There's that spark!"

He walked back up, clamping his hand around her jaw, closing his fingers down painfully near her joints. "Don't worry. We'll get that out of you." She tried to pull her face away but he only clamped down harder, making her look at him. "So, did you want the water or not?"

She didn't move, only glared so he tipped the water right next to her mouth, splashing it against her cheek but too far away for any to end up inside her mouth. She whined without meaning to at the feeling of the cool water sliding down her neck and chest. She gave swallowed dry again, the noise from it escaping her forced open mouth.

"I asked you a question." His fingers squished down harder and a tiny gasp of pain followed another whine and she knew it was pointless. Maybe it would have been better to die, chained up and thirsty. But she just couldn't do it to herself. She still had a tiny bit of hope that someone in LA or one of the Scoobies in Sunnydale could help her. There was still a chance and with that came hope and she couldn't kill herself with that hope.

"Angelus-" Words weren't really coming out with his fingers forcing her mouth open or with the scratching of her throat. She had to try again apparently because Angelus was cocking his head to the side, moving his ear directly over her mouth. "Please."

"Please what? You have to learn to beg properly."

She coughed again, "Please. Water."

He smirked down at her and said, "We'll work on it.", before he pushed her head back hard and tipped the bottle over completely, dumping the it at an undrinkable pace. She gasped with the overflow, swallowing what she could as the rest dumped over her cheeks and chin, running down her back and front, forming a small puddle on the ground.

* * *

"Willow? Tara?"

Tara woke with a start at the whisper and turned to face Dawn in the door.

"Yeah Dawn?"

"Can I sleep with you? I had a dream about- about Gi-G-G...I'd normally go to-to B-Buffy but…." Her sentence trailed off as the crying took over.

"Yeah. Yeah Dawn. Come here."

Tara slipped the covers aside and pulled Dawn under, wrapping her up in a hug as the tears spilled onto her pillow. Dawn wanted to ask where Willow was but she didn't think she could get it out. The thing was, Tara wanted to know the same thing.

* * *

Buffy had been staring at the wall a long while, the polish on her thumb almost completely gone, zoned out while focusing on the cracks in the stones.

Then she was scared straight back into awareness.

_Thump-thump._

No.

No, no, no, no.

She sat up straighter and listened again, praying that she had just focused in on Cordy's heart in the basement.

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

_Thump-thump._

No. They were overlapping.

With panic she turned to Spike on the couch, his body now starting to move more than it had before. She zoned in on his neck and breathed in with shock as she saw his pulse point bulge.

_Thump-thump._

Spike had a pulse.

She ran over and knelt next to him as his eyes started to move and flutter. She reached out and touched her fingertips to his forehead and pulled her hand down slow. He no longer felt too hot to the touch, just the normal amount of heat she felt when dealing with humans.

With humans. God, please no.

"Buffy?" Spike roused and blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the dark of the room. He brought a hand up to swipe over his face but stopped when it ran into hers resting on his cheek. He looked up with a curious expression but found her staring back in complete horror. "Buffy what's wrong?"

"Spike…" She shook her head and waited, unsure of what else to do.

Spike stared at her and around the room trying to figure out what it could be. The last thing he remembered was a fast blast of pain. Before that it was a bit fuzzy. Nothing seemed to be wrong though.

"Slayer, you're starting to worry me. And this face of mine doesn't need any worry lines. What's eating you?"

She moved her hand from his face and then he felt it. The cold he felt left on his cheek. He touched it and the heat of his hand seemed to warm it. He reached out and grabbed the top of Buffy's bare arm and he felt it again. She felt as cold as ice.

"You're cold. Why're you cold?"

Buffy stood up and took a step away as he pushed up into a sitting position. "Do you remember what happened?", she asked.

"Yeah. The loving group of wankers stuck us in cells. Angel _ass_ swiped us out and …"

"And?"

He leaned onto his elbows so he could rest his face in his hands. He squinted as he rubbed his temples and tried to remember more. "And yeah. Easy peasy. God my head fucking hurts."

"Spike. I don't know how to tell you this…"

"What? Buffy what is it?"

Buffy swallowed and he gave her an impatient shrug. "You're…you're human."

"What?" Spike laughed out loud and looked her over shaking his head as she walked nearer, never stopping his chuckles. "What're you on?" His laughter died out as she grabbed each of his hands in hers. He jerked back at the cold but watched as she grabbed two fingers from his right hand and placed them over his left wrist, pushing them down over his vein.

_Thump-thump._

He started panting as he felt the pulse of his blood pass under his fingertips. His mouth dropped. He was panting. Actually panting. He couldn't catch his breath. His breath!

The room started to get a bit loopy so he sat back against the couch and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then the cold started to settle in. Apparently he could feel that now.

Everything felt so muted. It was like he had cotton balls stuck in his ears. He could hear his breathing and that was it. There was nothing else. He jumped when he heard Buffy move to sit down next to him. He knew how panicked he looked.

"How?" He whispered out, not really sure what else to say.

"Giles." She growled out the name as she listened to the panic attack going through Spike at the moment. His heart was beating like crazy but she didn't know what to do.

"And you-?"

"He's dead."

"And I'm-?"

"Human."

"I'm human. Bloody hell."

"It'll be alright. We'll-"

"Alright?!" Spike ignored the enormous amount of pain and jumped up from the couch. "What the hell part of this is alright?! I'm human. A living, breathing, bleeding human!"

"And we'll fix that!"

"Fix it? How the bloody fucking hell do you think you're going to fix it? Call up gramps and ask to reverse the spell? Oh wait! That's right. You drank him!"

"It's not my fault!" Buffy stood up and threw her hands on her hips, trying to get in the way of his pacing.

"Oh of course not! Nothing is ever your fault! Don't worry guys. I've got a plan guys. Everything will be alright guys. Well how did that work out for you?!"

"Hey! _They_ did this okay? Not me. _They_ are the ones who locked us up. _They_ are the ones that did the spell. _They_ turned you human."

"They were trying to turn _you_ human! But no! Nothing bad can ever happen to Buffy."

"You're the one that pushed me out of the way!"

"Well then that was my mistake!" They both stared at each other, breathing hard, though Spike was really the only one breathing.

They glared with faces too close for comfort until Buffy cocked her hip and pushed back on her hair. "At least we know your personality is the same. You're still a selfish jerk."

"Oh selfish jerk? Strong words coming from you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"All this is because of you! Ever since you came back it's all about what you want. You and your revenge. Not caring what you do, who you kill, or who you use to get it."

"I thought you said you liked that!"

"Well that was before it made me mortal! You do realize that right? One trip down the stairs and I'm bleeding out faster than you can drink up the blood. What's the point of me? I'm just as fleshy as one of you pathetic pals. They find that out and I'll be put down in a heartbeat. Literally. Like a fucking mutt off the street." He twisted and kicked out against the wall, quickly recoiling with the pain that traveled up in his foot. "Oh Christ!" He hobbled back over to the couch. "I can't even- fuck!"

"You're not a stray Spike! You're not useless. I'm going to fix this."

"There's a lot of mighty talk coming from you."

"Because I'm-"

"Just shut up slayer! Go be useful and get me a scotch or something. I feel like World War Two ended in my chest."

"I'm not-"

"Well then leave me the god damn hell alone!"

* * *

A while later Angelus came back around strolling into the room. "Sleeping beauty rise from his cursed slumber?"

"Fuck off mate." Spike sat back down in the couch with a water in his hands. He had been rather thirsty and wasn't used to needing the liquid. Well not that type of liquid. He was kind of hoping to finish it before Angelus came back to mock him.

"Whoa!" Angelus recoiled with a loud holler. "You wreak!"

"Angelus." Buffy warned from the window where she was sitting on the sill and staring up at the night sky figuring out what to do. Spike had snapped at her to stay away but she couldn't leave him completely.

"It's not my fault he stinks of humanity!" Angelus sneered but Spike wasn't looking up at him, just down at his hands where he could see the pink fading into white at his clenched fists. Blood did weird things to his complexion. "Oh cheer up Spikey. You're starting to look a little pale." He giggled and ruffled the now human's hair before leaning back in one of the opposite chairs and throwing his feet up on the table.

Spike downed the glass of water in his hands and tossed it hard next to Angelus' head where it smashed against the wall. There was a single moment of satisfaction at the look on the vampire's face until he realized he was still thirsty. Actually his stomach kept making noises too. Hungry he guessed. He hadn't had real food in days.

"We're getting that book back." Buffy said to no one in particular. "Angelus what was it called? Did you see it?"

"Spells from the deep, dark, and creepy. Or something like that."

"Alright. You'll just have to recognize it when we go."

"What? Now?" Angelus whined and Spike shook his head.

"Yes now." Buffy said back, throwing her hands in the air as she jumped into the room. "They won't be expecting us only a few hours after Giles died."

"It's a book! Aren't there like libraries or something?"

"You really think a book like that is going to be laying around on some public shelf?"

"So what? You just gonna walk right up and ask?" Angelus cocked a hip much like Buffy's did naturally and put on his best high pitched valley girl voice. "Hey guyssss. Really sorry about killing Giles. By the way, can I have that book back so I can turn my boyfriend into an evil vampire so we can all kill you together? Mmmkay thanks!"

"No. They probably don't even know what Giles did. Knowing them, they're all back at the house trying to figure it out. They'll think their safe there, ward against us. But magic doesn't work on me and it's my house." She didn't feel like mentioning the fact that Spike was human and it probably wouldn't work on him either. "You two distract, I'll grab it and run."

Spike finally spoke up, "I'm not going anywhere tonight slayer. I've been ripped open from the inside. Give a lad a day."

"Or we could just leave you, dead weight." Angelus said cheerfully.

"That too." Spike agreed miserably.

"Spike." Buffy chastised. "I promised you we'd get them together. We're going to get them together. You think you'll be up for it tomorrow?"

"Just leave me Buffy."

"Yeah, listen to him!"

"Shut up Angelus."

"No Buffy he's right. I'm human. A weak, pathetic, scrawny little human. I'm no use to you."

"Spike, this isn't optional. You're coming. And no brooding. We get enough of that from pouty over there."

"Whatever boss." Spike mumbled before leaving the room completely, heading towards the burger joint down the street.

Buffy watched him leave before turning to glare at Angelus who was obviously on the verge of saying something. "No!" She snapped. "I don't want to hear it." She stomped away and went to explore more space of the mansion leaving Angelus all alone.

"Touchy." Angelus chuckled.

* * *

Anya woke up early without Xander by her side. He was probably still at the Initiative and since they didn't get a call, she assumed Giles was still human. Which meant he was still dead.

Everyone had cried a lot about it the night before. There was a weight in the house that could be felt by everyone. But it was morning and crying wasn't going to fix anything.

She thought of closing the shop for the day but didn't know what else to do with her time. Plus there was all that money she would be throwing away. Giles wouldn't want her to throw money away. He'd want her to run the shop.

Down the stairs she paced around making breakfast and went to eat in the other room but found Willow wide awake, flipping through the pages of that old spell book she brought for Giles. The one they found his body over, blood mysteriously missing from the pages.

"Morning Willow." Anya said solemnly but Willow only hummed in response. "Reading?"

"Yes." Willow answered a bit short as she flipped another page. She hadn't been able to sleep. After Tara was out she knew it was her chance to make for the book. Every time she tried to put it down she just had to pick it back up again. Spell after spell after spell and she couldn't tell what Giles' plan was. All she knew was that there were a lot of useful things. If she had the right ingredients, she could do whatever she wanted. There was even a spell to control hellhounds. In case she ever needed it.

Anya nodded and started to go into the other room to eat and pass the time but knew she had to tell someone about the book. Willow seemed to be the most stable one in the house. She hadn't even cried the night before with the rest of them. "Willow, I have to say something."

"What?" Willow asked without looking up.

"I got that book for Giles." Willow glanced up from the text and caught Anya's eye. "From the shop. The restricted section. You know the section up in back and…never mind. Um. Well he didn't tell me what he was planning to do really but I know it was meant for Buffy. He said dark magic works on her. Or it should. I don't think it did."

Willow's heart jumped at Anya's word. Tara was right? Dark magic worked on Buffy? That would mean she could use it to stop her. To prevent her from killing anyone else. No one had to die. That meant she wouldn't have to figure out what Giles was trying to do, she just had to find a spell to stop Buffy.

"Where is the restricted section?" Willow asked, trying to sound calmer than she felt. This changed the game completely.

"Um. Well Giles didn't want me to tell you since, you know, the whole bringing her back thing didn't work out so well."

"Well Giles isn't here." Willow spat back heartlessly but Anya didn't show much of a reaction. "Look, I'm not going to do anything. I just want to be prepared, that's all. She already killed one of our own. I don't want her to kill again."

Anya nodded slowly and thought it through. She did have a point. "Come by the shop and I'll show you."

Willow nodded and put down the spell book so she could shower and ready herself for a long day of reading.

* * *

Spike woke up before the others did. Nature called when you were human. He really wasn't used to that being such an issue.

The sun was out that day he noticed as it lit the room through the cracks in the wooden panels. Buffy and Angelus were fast asleep in the corner where the sun couldn't reach. Not the best place to sleep but they still needed more furniture. He had slipped off with them out of habit though he could have stayed on the couch probably. The sun touched it but he was human so what did it matter?

He supposed if he was stuck like this for a while, then he could enjoy one of the very few things being human was good for. He walked forward and stood at the line the sun made on the ground. It was a natural instinct to pull away but it didn't seem as intense as it did before. Slowly he reached out a hand and dipped his fingers into the light.

And screamed.

His fingers burned sharp and fast and he knew that if he held them a moment longer that they would catch fire. He'd done it one too many stupid times not to know.

"Spike?" Buffy's worried voice caught up with his ears as he looked over his shoulder and saw her crawling out of the shadow, nearing him as he held his hand to his chest and watched as the pink flesh of his fingers grew a deeper red with each second. Buffy sniffed the air. "Did you burn yourself? Spike," She laughed. "What could you have possibly….Oh no." She saw the sun and everything clicked into place. "You didn't? Are you-? Are you a vampire again?"

_Thump-thump._

"No." He shook his head.

"But-" He stomped back over to the corner where he threw his self on his back and held his hand as the extra pain fizzled into his system. God being a human was so painful.

"Then how did you…" Buffy trailed off as she watched him curl up on his side ignoring her. "Spike what's going on?"

"Drop it slayer." Spike hissed out and curled up tighter, willing to go back to sleep.

"Spike. Would you just look at me?" He didn't answer and she sighed in annoyance, curling up back in the shadows, making sure he stayed out of the light like they did. This was just getting worse and worse.

A sleepy Angelus sniffed the air and mumbled, "Bacon?", but no one responded.


	18. House Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why you write stuff and you go to save it and you accidentally hit the wrong button and everything gets erased. Yeah. Sorry for the later update.
> 
> Edited late at night (fair warning).

* * *

"Spike!"

"I'm not going!"

Buffy groaned and slammed the heels of her palms into her temple. They had been stuck on repeat with this argument since waking up.

"What happened to you? We're just visiting some humans." Buffy stomped in front of him as he slumped down into the couch nursing a bottle of beer and adjusting his burnt hand over his chest. "Are you scared they'll breathe on you?!"

"What happened to me was the magical fairy from hell fucked me over and made me real boy. I'm not Pinocchio! I didn't ask for this!"

"Is this what you were like before you became a vampire? Just this pansy who's scared of his own shadow?"

"Don't know if you've been paying attention but I can't have a shadow." He threw up the injured red hand between them. "Seems that fine print should really be in bold. Side-effects my ass. This should be you."

"That's it. I'm changing you." Buffy ran forward and tackled Spike to the floor. He, being the human he was, unfortunately didn't have quick enough reflexes to stop it and even lost his beer in the process. He threw a punch in her direction but she was already pinning his wrists and straddling his body.

"Get off me slayer!"

Buffy shook her head and changed into her demon form, her eyes glittering as they sought out his neck. He tried to shrink down from her but she had his body locked down tight. She licked her fangs before leaning in close and hovering over his pulse point, smelling the blood that was thumping only inches away.

"Buffy! Stop!"

"Why?" Buffy growled just as she had her mouth close enough to bite. Her lips bounced against Spike's skin bringing just the slightest taste of human to her tongue. She sighed as her blood lust started up.

"Buffy-" Spike's threatening tone came out much more like a groan than he meant. Buffy huddling over him like that, her mouth at his neck, it was fair to say he had his share of daydreams about something like that. With the outfit she had on, the skirt riding up so high there was almost no point to it, god he couldn't concentrate on why he was stopping her from doing whatever it was she was doing.

Buffy chuckled into his neck, "What's the matter Spike?" She rocked down a bit on his body and dragged herself up his cheek, hovering over his face to look him in the eye.

"Buffy I-" She rocked back again, this time making sure her ass just barely rode below his belt. She could smell his blood moving it was flowing so fast south. "Oh god. Buffy you- you have to stop cus…" He shook his head and closed his eyes, thumping it twice against the hard ground. "Okay listen. I didn't have time to tell you this before you went all slayer and drank Giles. Vamps, that'd be you -not me, can drink any kind of blood but you know how bad that pig's blood was?"

Buffy's lips coiled in disgust at the memory and she lessened her hold on Spike's wrists with a sigh, sinking down into her knees and sitting on his body. "Kind of killing my vibe here Spike." She wiggled her hips teasingly and felt Spike's vibe still standing tall.

"Vixen." Spike growled which only had Buffy smirking down at him. "Like I was saying, dark magic isn't all that yummy in the tummy. Drink too much too soon and you'll get sick."

"How sick?"

"Do I look like a demon doctor from hell?"

"Well," She let his wrists go and poked him in the stomach. "When you're not all pink and fleshy-"

"Hey."

"So fine. I'll get Angelus to change you."

"No way." Spike reached up and clamped a hand down on her chin, making her look at him instead of the door. "Chompy ain't getting anywhere near my neck."

"I won't be so chompy. Fangs in all the right places. Demons honor." She rocked again, easily slipping her head from his hand, and leaned down over his body. "Let me be your sire."

Spike swallowed loudly as he watched her blood red lips moving closer and closer, finding it harder and harder to talk. "I'm not risking it slayer." He said that but he didn't push her away. "We don't know what'll happen. Could change you."

"Well what am I supposed to do Spike?" She growled and crossed her arms, sitting back on his body with a thump, effectively knocking the wind out of him. "You won't come get the book with us and you won't let me change you. Stop being so undecidy and come on."

"Just go without me." He growled, throwing his hands on his chest because he knew there was no point in trying to move her. "I'll babysit the bird downstairs."

"Like Angelus would share her." They both snorted knowing Angelus was down there with her right now having whatever kind of fun he wanted. Buffy slapped Spike hard in the chest so he would answer her damn question. "Why won't you come?"

"I could _die_! Alright, as a vamp sure, yeah, one poorly built Ikea chair and same result but I'm mortal. Hungry, thirsty, tired. It's pathetic!"

"Just cus it's pathetic doesn't mean you have to be!" Buffy quickly stood over his body, ignoring the fact that he was blatantly looking up her skirt. "So come on. Strap on some kahunas...kahunos? Kahunamatata whatever. However you guys say it. And let's go and grab some food."

The Bronze was packed by the time they showed up. Some new popular band was playing apparently. It made it pretty easy for Angelus and Buffy to pick out a few teens for dinner. Buffy recognized someone she went to high school with and that girl had a friend. Spike was over at the bar eating his favored onion blossom and drinking his Jack Daniels while Angelus and Buffy were out in the alley. Only a little a bit of taunting took place before they made their kills. They had other places to be. Still that didn't stop him from grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the wall.

Angelus smirked as he pulled Buffy back against the bricks, stepping over one of the dead bodies so he could lean into her space. "You know, he might not change back."

"Who? Spike?"

"Dark magic is one tricky bastard. He could be stuck like that."

"What is this? Pity Spike day? He'll be fine."

"Pity? Please. You're a vamp now." He reached out and ran a hand up her neck and led it over her cheek and up her nose pointing to the middle of her forehead, the point where her demon would furrow her brows together. She watched with her eyes squinting in curiosity as he brought that hand up to the side of her head on the bricks and leaned in further. "Monogamy is so last century. And, you and me, we made a pretty good team. Fucking and fighting."

"Yeah each other."

"What do you say to another round? For old time's sake." He brought his other hand up her thigh and played with the rim of her fishnets. "Someone needs to rip these bad girl clothes off you." She bit her lip as his hand trailed up further, now playing with the hem of her skirt. "He's not gonna do it." As soon as he put Spike in her head the image in her mind flashed so it was him groping her instead of Angelus, making her bite her lip harder.

"What makes you think I want him to?"

"Like you two aren't fucking in the closet like a couple of high schoolers." He smugly smirked down at her but all she did was look up at him, raising her eyebrows as high as he must have been to say that. "Oh you're not?!" He burst out into a fit of chuckles, throwing himself back from the wall, almost tripping back on the dead girl. "When was the last time you got some? No wonder you're on the bitch rampage."

"Hey!" She yelled back offended. "Back off..." What was the name Spike gave him that drove him up the wall? She couldn't remember. "...um...fruit cake."

"Fruit cake?" Nope that wasn't it. It just made him stop laughing. He was still closing in, moving slyly until he was crowding her again. "Oh you like it sweet now? I can do sweet." He slid his hands back on her body slipping them over her hips and thumbing the line of skin that showed on her stomach. "But I think you'd much rather I do something like this."

Angelus quickly let go of her hips, grabbed Buffy's face and slammed them against the wall. His mouth moved quick over hers as the tip of a fang poked out and sliced her bottom lip. Completely on instinct Buffy felt herself reacting, her body arching away from the brick wall in surprise, adrenaline and arousal. Angelus slid his hands down her body, curving over her chest, one hand staying over her breast but the sound of a bottle dropping snapped her back to reality. She pushed as hard as she could on Angelus' chest and the slayer-vampire combo power had him stumbling back, right over the dead girl, falling right on his ass. When she looked over she saw Spike stomping back into the club.

"Shit. Spike!" She ran after him as quick as she could, jumping over Angelus on the ground.

He continued to stomp through people shoving those that wouldn't move to the ground as he made his way to the bar. He only snapped back at her when she got close enough to grab at him. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your screw in the alley?"

"I wasn't going to screw Angelus."

"Right."

"Look it's just Angelus alright? He'll try and fuck anything that moves."

"And if you want to let him, that's your business."

"I wasn't going to let him."

"Oh yeah sure looked like it."

"Hey! Seriously." She grabbed his arm, preventing him from calling the bartender. He smelled like he had enough alcohol in his blood already. "Would you stop being such a whiny bitch for a moment and tell me what's wrong here?"

"What could possibly be wrong? You obviously want him. It's why you changed him. Well now you two have each other. He's a vamp, I'm human, there's no use keeping me around anymore. So why not just get rid of me altogether huh?"

"No one wants to get rid of you. Well maybe Angelus but he's Angelus."

Spike finally waved down the bartender and pointed towards the top shelf. "Another."

"Spike, I'm not leaving till you tell me. You know I wasn't going to do anything."

"Why should that matter?" He picked up his drink and crowded back in her space, yelling over the band. "It's your body. What do I have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. I just thought…I don't know."

"Well when you do know, I'll be over there." Spike nodded towards the part of the club with the chairs and couches where a tall with long blonde hair gave him a smile and a wave. He started to walk over but Buffy grabbed him by the back of his jacket and tugged him back hard.

"Who's she?"

"I don't know but she gave me her number."

"Spike." He started to walk away and she had to fight a couple to get in front of him again. "Wait Spike! What about getting the book back tonight? Changing you back? Ring any bells?"

"Don't worry boss, I'll still come when you call. Just whistle."

"No." She grabbed him by the sleeve and started to pull him towards the exit. "Come on. We're leaving now."

"Fantastic."

"Seriously!" She chucked his arm away and faced him with all the fury she could show without breaking out into demon. "What the hell?"

Spike glared at her for a good thirty seconds before downing his drink in one go, swaying a bit as he did so. Human systems didn't filter alcohol quite like demon systems did. "Remember when I was the Big Bad and you were the Slayer and it was black and white. I kill you, you kill me. Evil, good. Then Dru goes and says…then I lose my teeth and things get fuzzy round the edges. Then Dru turns out…then I go and fall…then you kiss me. Then you go and die. Come back as a vamp and still… Then I get my teeth, you have yours, then Angelus comes and…Everyone loves Angelus. He said it and I knew and…you just know. You know? That's the worst part in this. You know. I have no bloody clue. But you know. You know everything. Every day, before and after. I can't get you out of my head. Everything always has to be for you. Hell I flipped the switch to human for you and for what? I get all pink and gooey just so you can off and cuddle with vamp number three? You know, I know what it's like to feel under appreciated but this…this takes the cake. Every day I love you and you know it and you just go and do whatever you want. I really just got to learn to move on. So that's what I'm doing." He nodded towards the tall stranger. "With blonde number three."

She stared open mouthed at his obviously drunken ramble as he started to walk back to the couches. It took her a second to turn around to call him back. "But Spike-"

"No!" He snapped and turned back at her, pointing a finger in her face. "See there. Right there! You're doing it again. You're gonna say how I'm not and how you want me to stick around. But really you just wanna use me. I don't want to hear it slayer."

Buffy was about to tell him just how untrue that really was but Angelus popped up behind them and barked, "Let's go.", while rubbing out the rest of the dirt off his pants from that fall.

"Not now Angelus." Buffy barked back.

"No boss." Spike gave her the best fake smile he could muster and tossed his glass back at the bar, completely shattering it and pissing off a few patrons at the same time. "You wanted leave, let's leave."

Spike stomped through the mass of people, shoving those that didn't move to the ground as before, the rest parting to make room. Buffy groaned as she followed and snapped at anyone that tried to move in front of her.

Angelus watched with a great big smile.

* * *

Back at the Summers house everyone was gathered around for Tara's home cooked dinner. It kept her mind busy and off Giles and Willow for the day.

Anya said she left Willow at the shop after closing and she didn't really say when she was going to come home. Anya just made sure to tell her she would be checking inventory and anything missing would be coming out of her pocket.

Xander returned in the middle of the day dead tired. He said Giles didn't turn so he would work on burying him the next day. He just needed to sleep before he did anything.

Dawn stayed in her room most of the day. She moved back in after Tara woke up and wouldn't come down the stairs when Tara called. She didn't feel like moving much and Tara understood so she let her be alone with Xander on guard as she went to the store to get things to make dinner. That was right after she alone worked the magic to block Spike from having the ability to enter the house.

It was a full dinner: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, corn, rice, muffins, biscuits, peas and deserts waiting in the fridge. Everyone gathered around in silence as they ate, all trying to think of anything but what was all on their minds. Any attempt at normal conversation was too hard and it failed.

Then Dawn broke the silence. "Do you guys remember when Giles lost his glasses and started talking to the mop because he thought it was Buffy?"

Xander snorted and nodded his head along. "Yeah. He got so mad she wasn't paying attention."

"Then Buffy walks in and he pretends he wasn't talking. But he didn't see us in the corner."

"Then he turned around and started talking to the mop again." Xander trailed off into a fit of giggles that was easily joined by everyone else around the table. Pretty soon another story was told followed by another followed by another until a loud bang on their back door made everyone stop and stare with wide eyes.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing." Xander said with a fake smile as he stared at the door with everyone else from his dining room chair. "I'm sure."

"Oh children!" Angelus' call could be heard from inside. "I hear you all in there! Breathing, hearts pounding. Quivering away. Is it cus the big bad Angelus is back to play?"

"What the hell are you rhyming for?" Spike could be heard mumbling back at him.

Xander stood and deviated to the living room to grab the cross bow. Loading it he made his way for the back door and opened it, taking a step back and aiming it in the direction of the yard. He could see Angelus and Spike glaring at him, both in the middle of the grass, unmoving.

"Yeah? And what are you gonna do? Stand out there and stare us to death?"

"Wow got some kahunas on you do you?" Angelus laughed as he eyes the cross bow, aimed towards him but not correctly. It would miss if fired.

"Daddy Giles left and now you're here to take his place?" Spike mocked, throwing his thumbs into the band of his jeans as he bit down on his cigarette.

"No Red around so now you're man of the house?" Angelus added on. "Well why don't you come out here and we can fight like the men we are."

"Where's Buffy?" Anya called out from behind Xander, her head trying to peek over his shoulder. She grabbed the only weapon she saw which was a big wooden cross and held it out in front of him, wrapping her arm out from behind him, but it didn't matter much with the vampires outside.

"Out." Angelus answered with a shrug. "But I'm sure she'll turn round soon."

"Till then…" Spike pulled the cigarette from his mouth and lost himself in a fit of coughs. His human lungs didn't appreciate his habit. "How bout we have some fun?" Spike ignored how pitiful that came out while gagging and flicked the cigarette onto the ground. With a flash the grass lit on fire and quickly it spread in a direct line up to the house. A few feet away from the back door the porch blew up in flames and Xander watched wide eyed as the vamps smiled from behind the wall of flames.

"Not good, not good, not good." Xander ran back into the house as Anya and Tara and Dawn saw that the house was slowly catching on fire from the outside. "The opposite of good!" Xander ran to the basement door and thrust it open, charging down the stairs to find the fire extinguisher.

The girls upstairs screamed and looked around the kitchen for something to put out the flames with.

"Why don't we have buckets of water lying around?" Anya peeked into cabinets for something bigger than a coffee cup to hold water. "That would be useful for a slayer right? Buckets of holy water!"

Dawn tried to pull the hose from the sink but it didn't nearly go far enough. Tara took hold of a bowl and started filling it with water as Xander came running back up the stairs.

"Dawn where did the fire extinguisher go?!"

"I don't know!" She screamed as she looked around the kitchen. "Buffy tried cooking last year and she used it last! I think we were supposed to get a new one."

"Well did you?"

"No!"

The flames could be heard crackling louder and Xander's eyes grew comically wide as he peeked into the living room and saw the fire had caught the curtains through the open window. "Great!" He yelled and started to run for the phone to call 911 but stopped when he heard Tara scream.

She had been dumping that bowl of water onto the porch from the door, making sure to keep inside the house but she didn't check to see where the vamps were. Spike had been hiding and grabbed her by the arm and flung her down the stairs, jumping after her and throwing her over the flames and into Angelus' arms.

Xander ran over to the door and screamed. "Let her go!"

"If you say so." Angelus chuckled as he grabbed Tara by the wrists and threw her body out so it hovered over the start of the flames. The orange glowed harsh on her face and she had to tilt her head back so her hair wouldn't catch fire as she sputtered from the smoke and panic.

"How stupid are you anyway?" Xander yelled over at them, trying to buy himself some time to make up a miraculous plan. "You do know fire and vamp don't mix right?"

"Oh I guess we just didn't think of that." Spike drawled out sarcastically as he walked back over to the middle of the lawn. "Why don't you come demonstrate?"

"Or this one will go by way of Giles." Angelus taunted, throwing Tara back up and into his body, shifting his face into demon form so his fangs just barely grazed her skin. "Though I don't know…She's never had a man inside her now has she? No one should die a virgin."

"Just cus she don't swing the bat doesn't mean she hasn't played a full game." Spike pointed out as Tara struggled pointlessly harder in Angelus' arms.

"Debatable."

Xander ran back in the house and grabbed the first stake he saw as Anya and Dawn followed. "Anya, Dawn, you two put out that fire and call the firehouse. Or fire men. Fire people! They should really be called water people. If that's what we-"

"Xander!" Dawn yelled and motioned to the chaos surrounding them.

"Right. I'll get Tara back."

"No." Anya grabbed him by the arm, making him swing away from the door. "You're not facing two vamps by yourself. That's suicide. I'll help."

Xander shook his head but already knew there wasn't a point in arguing and they were losing time. "Fine. Grab a stake. Dawn work on putting out that fire and call the aqua men."

Dawn nodded as Xander and Anya headed out with stakes and the cross bow. She turned around and ran for the phone but stopped short when she saw it smashed to pieces. She snapped around and standing in their dining room was, "Buffy?"

"Oh. Hey Dawn." Buffy smiled at her casually as she walked to the other side of the table and snatched up the book Willow had left behind. _Chthonic Gods: Spells from Below_. It seemed like the book Angelus described and it was the only one new in the collection.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked wide eyed, stuck in the threshold with the sounds of the battle and flames beating in the background.

"I need this." Buffy wiggled the book as she leaned over and snagged a piece of ham and stuck it in her mouth. "Awkward I know but I do."

Dawn watched her move around the table looking at all the other food they had yet to eat and found herself starting to tear up at the memories of when she had last seen her. This wasn't her sister. "Why did you do it Buffy? Why did you kill him?"

"Dawnie," Buffy sighed and walked over to her sister with a sad expression. Fake of course. "I had to. He was trying to kill me. What do you think dark magic like this is for? He waited till you were all gone and I was locked in my cage and he tried to kill me." She sighed again and brought a hand up to Dawn's face, cupping her cheek and moving the hair behind her ear. "What I did was out of self-defense."

"But-" Dawn found herself leaning into the cool undead hand of her sister, a touch she missed even if she knew it wasn't real. "But- did you really have to kill him? I mean…you're so different Buffy." She gestured to the clothes and hair and piercings as tears started to spring quicker to her eyes. "You brought Angelus back. You took Spike's chip out." Tears started to fall over even faster as she looked her sister in the eyes. They were missing something they held before. They were just dark and soulless now. "Are you gonna kill me now?"

"No Dawn. I'm not going to kill you." Buffy chuckled and removed her hand from Dawn's face to place it on her shoulder and give her a gentle squeeze. Really she had thoughts of squeezing a bit harder if it meant not having to deal with the cry baby but that would all come in good time. "No one will get hurt today. I promise. Not bad anyway. Just the normal battle wounds."

"But Buffy-"

"Gotta go!" Buffy ran through the kitchen and stopped just outside the back door to peek back at Dawn and throw her a wink. "See you later little sis."

Buffy ran out into the battle, if it could even be called that, and smiled. Tara was knocked out cold lying on the ground and Xander was being thrown by Spike towards the fire. Anya was trying to deflect the throws Angelus was punching but really she was never a fighter. She just kept inching away further and further as he taunted her.

"I thought you wanted to play. You know I hate nothing more than a stake tease."

"Yeah well-" Anya found the space between them closing in and she changed direction walking backwards, incidentally towards where Spike was standing. "-you're one to talk."

"Oh she has a mouth on her." Spike joined in as he crowded the space with Angelus.

"I like the ones with a big mouth."

Buffy smirked as Angelus moved in closer but that smirk soon fell as her eyes caught the movement Xander was making near the fire. He hadn't been knocked out like she thought. His arm had ended up in the flames but that was it. He was reaching around and holding out what looked to be her old cross bow. He was aiming on the ground and she could see he was trying for Angelus but he was off. He had it aimed straight for, "Spike!"

Spike turned as she screamed and Xander pulled the trigger. She ran as fast as she could, didn't even think, just jumped. The wood pierced her chest and she cried out in pain as she fell back into Spike's body.

"Shit!" She cursed as she looked down at the wood sticking out in the center of her body, just below her neck and just above her tube top. At least her new shirt wasn't ruined. She reached up and pulled the wood from the center of her body with a hiss. "That hurt more than I thought it would."

"Buffy?" Spike, completely dumbstruck, helped her to her feet and stared at the stake in her hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Saving you! And oh god shit." She put a hand over the bleeding hole in her chest and gestured with the book still in her hands. "Let's get out of here."

Spike nodded and they ran off through the brush seeing Xander had passed out in the flames. Angelus back handed Anya but left her on the ground as he ran after the other two, dragging up Tara and throwing her over his shoulder instead.

Dawn watched from the door with tears in her eyes. The living room was beyond redeemable. She had no accessible phone to call for help. The fire was getting closer and closer, making her feel hotter and hotter. She had to get out of the house. She ran over to Xander and saw the burns on his arm, a flash of Giles' burned chest running through her memory. She shook her head and grabbed his feet and pulled as hard as she could, dragging him to the center of the lawn where the flames didn't reach. Anya was out cold but she was far enough away not to get hurt. So Dawn just fell right there next to Xander and watched as the house she grew up in burned to the ground.

* * *

"What is wrong with you?" Spike chastised as he helped Buffy onto their couch in the mansion. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"So could've you!"

"What do you want me to do with the dame?" Angelus asked, tossing Tara over his shoulder and onto the floor with a thud.

"Put her with the other one." Buffy called over her shoulder. "Let me know if she wakes up."

"Aye, aye captain." Angelus grabbed Tara by the arm and started to drag her towards the stairs, letting her body thump all the way down, simply because he didn't care.

"That stake coulda killed you!" Spike yelled at her again, though she thought the argument was over with. "Shoulda if he wasn't such a bad shot!"

"Well he is."

He ignored her as always. "Did they not screw in all your parts right during assembly?! How could you be so stupid?"

"Your thanks is very much appreciated." Buffy replied sarcastically as she threw her head back against the couch and moved a hand to cover the hole in her chest. It would take at least a week to heal normally with slayer power. With vamp and slayer combined it probably wouldn't take that long but still it was inconvenient. At least it stopped hurting.

"Why would you-"

Her extra loud sigh stopped whatever argument he had and she lifted herself from her very comfortable position so she could yell at him at a proper standing height. "Would you have rather died?"

"I'd rather you didn't!"

"Well I'd rather you didn't!"

"Saving my life." He scoffed and kicked the coffee table between them aside so he could crowd her closer. "That's rather heroic of you slayer. You sure that soul of yours didn't wiggle its way back in?"

She glared at the finger he used to mime her soul wiggling like a worm and let go of her chest so her hands could fall on her hips. "Would you like me to show you just how soulless I am?"

"Is that an invitation?"

"Wanna find out?"

"Maybe I do!"

"Maybe _I_ do!"

Spike was in her face breathing hard and she found herself copying him for no real reason, panting even. They stared and glared and pouted at each other until Spike let out a breath and leaned back, letting go of his anger for a moment and scrutinizing her. Finally he shook his head and chuckled at his own disbelief before he asked, "Why'd you do it?"

Buffy also leaned back and let her shoulders drop before toeing a bit of rubble that had fallen off the table when Spike kicked it. "What you were saying earlier. I don't…I don't know what I'd do without you alright? I mean…you can't leave me alone with handsy downstairs." She chuckled, trying to make a joke and probably failing. "Those beef fingers get annoyingly roamy."

Spike smirked at her attempt at humor though she seemed far too interested in that rock to see it. "Suppose that would be rather inhumane of me. Since I'm thumping away here I should probably keep a watch on that. Watch him for you yeah?"

"Watch him, stop him." She shrugged. "We wouldn't want a reason for you to get jealous."

"Jealous? I'm not jealous of Peaches."

"Sure you're not." She looked up at Spike with a laugh as she started to total all the ways he was jealous of Angelus but her smile fell before she could get one out.

Something had changed. She knew it. Right from the moment she set her vamp eyes on Spike she knew something about him was different. Yeah, as a vamp she could feel that power radiating off him, still present even though he was human. But he hadn't changed. She had. And he helped. He helped her and kept her secret and even now he was helping her get her revenge. He jumped in front of the dark magic and turned human for her and she...well she jumped in front of a stake for him. Why the hell would she do that? She wasn't stupid. She knew it could kill her. But she wasn't thinking. She just knew Spike was in danger. If it were anyone else she may not have done the same but with Spike she had to. She had to make sure he was okay. Because it was true. She didn't know what she would do without him and she didn't want to find out.

Looking at him now with his hands on his hips and that unsure look he always had when trying to figure her out, it just reminded of how many times he gave her that look in the past. It reminded her of all they did together. All the fights they had. All the hunts they went on. All he taught her. All those moments they had were she couldn't explain the looks he gave her or she gave him. Maybe now she could. Now she knew, she had proof, that she didn't want to lose Spike. Ever. In fact she needed him. It was messy and insane and didn't really make sense but as she inched closer to him she knew it was right.

"Since you're gonna keep such a close eye on me…" She bit her lip and took another step closer to him. "I was thinking…" She trailed off looking at his chest and he cocked his head to the side, confused by where she was going.

"Thinking?"

"Soul or no soul, you've always been looking out for me." She took another step closer and really there was only so much room for her to move. The heat from his human body was practically scorching. "Lately I just can't find a reason not to…"

He picked up on her trailing off again and prompted her to continue, "Not to what?"

"Return the favor. Give you a chance."

"A chance?"

"As long as you stick around."

"I'm not going anywhere." He replied with eyes mushed together.

"Good." Buffy answered with a smile at his confusion.

"Buffy what are you talk-" He trailed off as she leaned in further, much closer than she ever would normally when not fighting. He could feel her cold body mere inches away as he stood frozen on the spot, backed against the wall.

_Thump-thump._

She could hear and smell his heart pounding with adrenaline as she leaned her chin up near his mouth, her hands coming down on either side of his body. Still he wouldn't move the distance to bring their mouths together, probably too unsure of what she was actually doing. She smiled and leaned in further deciding she would help him along by grabbing him by the lapels and forcing him closer. Just as the lipstick from her top lip skimmed over his bottom and just as her hands ran down his chest on either side the door slammed open.

"She's up if you-" Angelus stopped short as he entered the room at the sight of Spike backed up against the wall by Buffy. He started laughing when Spike tried to kill him with a death glare and Buffy turned with a pout. "If you high schoolers are done fucking. The witch is up."

Buffy smirked at Spike and gave him a quick wink before spinning, grabbing the book, and heading towards the dungeon. It was admittedly bad timing but she had magic that needed doing.

* * *

Willow gasped and jumped up with joy. She found it. She found the spell to use on Buffy.

She looked over at the clock and saw it was past ten at night. She had been at the shop for over twelve hours doing research. But it was worth it.

She couldn't wait to start the spell, though she knew the others wouldn't approve of the dark magic. She would just have to do it there at the Magic Box away from their judgmental eyes. They had most of the ingredients anyway. She just needed to grab a few things that she could find by herself. It wouldn't take her more than a day if she got started right away.

She picked up the books she laid out and set them all aside except for the one she decided to use. She wrapped it up in her sweatshirt and brought it down the stairs with her, moving to the back room to hide it behind the weights.

All that was left was to go home and sleep for the night before she would get to work. She felt bad for missing out on dinner with everyone but she was sure they didn't miss her that much. Buffy was their priority after all so they would understand.


	19. They Took Her

Willow gasped as her taxi pulled up right behind a great big red fire truck blocking the view of her house. She demanded the driver stopped and threw some money at him quick before running around the tuck and seeing what was on the other side.

"No."

The fire men were still hosing down the property but not much was left of it. The house looked black and charred and as the water pounded over it more and more bits of the frame flaked off. No flames could be seen but smoke was still piling high into the sky. The smell of it had her coughing into her arm as she started to look around in panic searching for her friends or a firefighter to tell her if anyone was hurt.

"Excuse me!" Willow ran up to the first firefighter she saw. "What happened? This is- Was anyone in there? Did they get out okay?"

The firefighter moved closer to ask her if this was her home when Dawn caught her eye. She breathed out in relief and ran over to her, quickly searching for the others.

"Dawn!" Willow caught her in a full hug before physically pointing her away from the house, trying to get her to look at her. "What happened? Are you okay?" Dawn's gaze was still lost, somewhere off in the distance, as it had been ever since rescuing Xander and being moved by the fire men. "Where's Tara? Where are the others?"

Dawn looked at Willow rubbing overly rubbed puffy eyes affected by her crying and the smoke. "They took Xander in the ambulance." Her voice cracked as she spoke and pointed towards the place she last remembered the ambulance lights flashing. Willow looked and saw a medic wrapping Xander's arm. Anya was right by his side talking to a firefighter. "He burned his arm. Bruised his ribs. It was them. They burned down the house."

"Where's Tara?" Willow did another sweep of the surrounding people but she couldn't see her anywhere. She couldn't feel her either. Usually they witch could at least feel a little something when it came to her witch lover.

Dawn shook her head and Willow gripped her arms tighter, almost too tight. "Where is she?"

"They took her."

Willow froze. They took her. Why would they take her? What did they want from her? What were they doing to her? What could be going on? Was she still alive? Why did they burn the house? Was Tara subjected to the flames?

"Willow, you're hurting me." Dawn squirmed and Willow let her arms go leaving light bruises in their place.

Magic started to crackle at her fingertips the moment she took her hands off Dawn. Her stomach churned at the thought of how long she was gone and how much time that meant Tara was alone with the vamps. She had to do something. Now.

"Willow? Whoa!" Dawn jumped back as she watched Willow's eyes fluctuating, the dark of her pupil getting wider and receding with every breath.

Willow started to walk towards the house. They had many weapons in there. Not all of them were made from wood. Some had to have survived.

Someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around before she could get closer. "Can't go in yet Wills. Anya is going to go on a walk through tomorrow to see if anything is left but-" She glared over back at Xander who was holding her with his good arm. "Whoa." He whispered out, having the same reaction as Dawn to her eyes.

"Let go of me Xander."

"Willow you need to calm down."

"What I need to do is get Tara back!" With her yell Xander's arm flew from her body without touch and she started stomping her way back towards the direction of the shop.

"Wait! Willow!" Xander jogged to catch up with her, Dawn doing the same. "You can't just go in there without a plan. I'm pretty sure you can't just knock and ask them to give her back."

"Well I'm not staying here."

"We can't do anything going there tonight." Dawn decided to try and calm Willow down as well. "We can get the weapons tomorrow and make a plan tonight at Xanders but-"

"No!" Willow snapped back, her eyes stuck as black orbs. "I'm getting her back. Tonight. Don't try and stop me." She turned and started to run, faster than any human should have been capable of, to the point where they swore her feet were no longer touching the ground.

"Was that Willow?" Anya came up behind them and looked in the direction the redhead had just…floated.

"We have to go after her." Dawn tried to sound brave but honestly she didn't know how much more she could take. Giles' death, the encounter with her sister, the fact that Buffy helped set their home on fire, not knowing if any of her valuables were left unburned, Tara being taken, and now Willow floating off in some sort of angry magical state. All of that in just over a day made her want to run to bed, curl up, and wake up from this nightmare. She didn't feel like running back into the trouble. But she didn't exactly have a bed to call her own anymore.

"Come one," Xander started to lead them away from the crowd of people and towards his car parked on the street. "There are too many news vultures here. We'll have to go to the shop to get weapons. Maybe we can cut her off before she gets to the mansion."

Dawn nodded and piled into the backseat as Anya followed very confused. "Wait, where? I have to start filing the insurance claim you know. I thought we were going back home."

Xander started the car and drove away leaving it to Dawn to explain what happened to Willow. He just hoped they could stop her before she did anything too stupid. His ribs couldn't take another beating. Not to mention the lack of flesh on his arm. It was already one hell of a night, he didn't need it to get any more hellish.

* * *

Cordelia groaned and rolled her head so she could look at whoever Angelus was tying up. She couldn't make them out very clear in the dark but whoever they were they were unconscious. _Lucky them._

Angelus turned and she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep again but she couldn't fool him. "I can hear you're awake Cordy." Next thing she knew he had her chin locked down tight and she was forced to look up at him. "And it's very impolite to ignore our new guest."

"Guest would mean she wants to be here."

"Alright then. Our new playmate. And until she wakes up-" He grabbed her sagging body by the waist and hulled her up off her knees and straight onto her feet. "Why don't you and I play?"

"I'm not playing any of your games Angelus."

"Oh I beg to differ. As long as you want to stay alive, you're going to play."

She lifted her head and stood on her own feet as best she could, ignoring the fact that she needed Angelus' hands just a bit. He had adjusted her chains so her hands angled down and let her blood flow, after a lot of cat and mouse that was. The upside was she could feel her hands after the pain of having them prickle and wake up after having been asleep for so long. The downside was the change of angle didn't help her escape any and her body sank more easily to the ground, still unable to sit comfortably. The lack of moving around made her fatigue just that much worse so standing on her own was a bit of a feat. That didn't stop her ability to glare. "I can't wait to drive a stake into your heart."

"Oh and how are you going to do that?" He chuckled and pulled her body closer, pressing his groin against her waist and leaning in close to whisper in her ear. "Escape and fight me? By yourself? Face it Cordy, you're no good on your own. Never have been. You always need a flock of followers helping you do everything." He dropped her unceremoniously before turning to the center of the room and returning his glare. She tried to stand on her own two feet but she was swaying quite a bit. It didn't help that he kept moving around. "First it was the squad of preppy bitches ready to stab you in the back if it meant making homecoming queen. Then it was the band of freaks that you hurt more than you ever helped. Then Angel Investigations. You had to force your way in and even then what point were you? Can't hold your own in a battle, can't do research. Then you get those visions which, let's face it, no one wanted you to have. Doyle chose you because you were _convenient_. Nothing more. Still you can't even get those to work! You're probably killing more people than you're saving. Face it." He pulled her head back up, resting her cheeks in either of his hands, and lowering his voice to a pleasant mocking tone. "You're still the scared little princess that nobody really loves, fucking up every chance you're given. Who else would let poor Angel lose his soul, again? After having a vision about it! No one could be as stupid as you."

Cordy jutted her chin out into his hands and smiled, ignoring the small pang of hurt she felt hearing those words come out of Angel's mouth. "Keep talking Angelus. Because nothing you say or do will matter. You know why? Because you always lose. As much as I mess up I'm on the right side. You will always lose. Angel will always win."

"Oh right. Angel." He pulled back pounding his chest and giving his best sarcastic shout. "The big night in shining armor pulling through at the last minute and saving the day! Well I hate to break it to you sweetheart but that ain't gonna happen. If all Angel has is _you_ , well…he ain't got much."

"Angel has more than just me. There are others that will stop you."

"Right of course. The Scoobies. The leader, one undead vampire slayer turned soulless vampire. One unconscious joke of a witch." He went over and jiggled Tara's head before it lulled back into her chest. "An ex vengeance demon who, let's face it, would kill anyone and everyone if it meant keeping her boy toy kicking. Barely a soul she has anyway. The boy toy himself. A horrible shot and terrible excuse for a man whose only point is mediocre back up on the snappy comments. The watcher, currently turning up daisies. The-

"Giles is dead?" Cordy gasped earning her a particularly malicious laugh from him.

"Forgot to mention that did I? And what's left? Oh, right. The cry baby sister and the actual witch who dipped her hand into the wrong cookie jar. It only takes so long before they fall. And who could forget about the folks back home?" He smirked and reached into his pocket, sauntering over to her side and pulling out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

Angelus lifted the cell in his hand, popped the antenna, and shoved it directly in front of her face so she could see. "Would you look at that? Reception in the basement. I was hoping you would be around to hear this." He slammed a hand over her mouth as he dialed the phone and brought it to his ear. "Hey Gunn…." Cordy screamed into his hand. "Yeah I know it's been a few days. Cordy and I ended up staying to help out with a demon problem. Then she found her favorite shoe store and well you know how our girl is when it comes to shoes…I know right? That's our Cordy...Well by the time she finished that another demon problem sprung up so we're sticking around….Not too long. How's everything on your end?...Good." He turned to Cordy and pulled the phone from his face so she could hear him whisper. "And now for the cherry on top." She continued to scream and bite into his hand but it didn't matter, he didn't pull away and Gunn couldn't hear. "How's our little Freddie doing?...Oh that's too bad. I'm sure she'll come round. Tell her I said hello….Sure thing. You too." He hung up the phone and slid it into his pocket. "Gunn and Wes say hi."

Cordy gave him a really good chomp on his palm, her teeth finally making contact, and he pulled away to look at the damage she had done. "You made me bleed Cordy. Seems only fair you return some of what you took." He shook head head and morphed into his demon form, closing in on her personal space and she leaned as far away as possible squirming as his fang came closer. Then she was saved by Tara starting to moan and move her head. "Rain check." He groaned, pulled away and started to walk back up the stairs so he could grab the other two.

Cordy pulled against her chains for the umpteenth time since being caught but knew there wasn't a point. She was stuck. So she turned to the other girl and looked her over. In the light from the open door she could kind of make her out but she didn't know who she was. "Hey. Hey are you okay?"

Tara moaned again and blinked her eyes open slowly. She felt like her head had been smacked by a 2x4 which it kind of had with Angelus' meaty fist. In the dark she couldn't tell where she was but she knew it wasn't good. She wasn't by the house, the house that she last saw burning. She wasn't in a hospital or in Xander or Anya's apartment. As soon as she tried to move she knew her bad feelings were correct. Both her wrists were chained above her head and as she pulled they did nothing but jingle and keep her standing.

"What's your name?" A girls voice called out to her in the dark and she turned to face the other woman. She recognized her from a few photos Willow showed her as being Cordy, the girl with the visions from LA that they went to school with.

"Tara. And you must be Cordy?"

"Yeah. Are you Tara as in Willow's Tara?"

"Yeah I guess I am."

"I heard she switched teams. Might be a good idea for me to switch. I have the worst taste in men. Seriously."

"Oh don't do that on me now." Angelus was already back, jogging down the stairs happily. "We were just about to have our home team kind of fun."

"Angelus," Buffy's voice could be heard from the top of the stairs, warning him off. Cordy and Tara both looked up but both had to close their eyes instantly as the lights flickered on and blinded them with florescents.

"We have lights?" Angelus asked towards the stairs as Buffy's boots came into view.

"Just cus we're vampires doesn't mean we have to live in caves. When Spike was pouting about being human I did some things."

"Hey-" Spike could be seen coming close behind her as they all gathered in front of the prisoners.

"Hey nothing. I wasn't about to let your moping get in the way of redecorating."

"And what's this place gonna look like when you're done?" Cordy piped up as she subtly tried to inspect her chains closer in the light. She still had to squint to see so she wasn't sure if she was missing anything but it didn't seem to make a difference. "BDSM dungeon to match the slut-o-riffic excuse for an outfit?"

"Oh Cordy if you rather be tied down to a bed then all you had to do was say so. I'm sure Angelus wouldn't mind helping you out with that."

"With a dirty mind like hers it's only a matter of time." Angelus sneered and she stepped back hoping what she said wouldn't end up getting her into even more trouble. She was just about to mention something about that giant hole in Buffy's chest too. She bit her lip and watched as the vamps continued on with their taunting.

"But no Cordy," Buffy continued. "This isn't about you for once. Tara." She turned towards the quivering girl who was also trying to find a way out of her cuffs while also trying to hide the fact she was staring at Buffy's stake wound. "I need a favor."

"I-I-I'm n-not going to-"

"Oh look at how cute she is when she stutters." Buffy walked over and pinched her cheek, hard. "My eyes are up here." She moved her hands over her chest and pointed up towards her face, stopping Tara's staring. "And don't worry sweetie. I'm not going to hurt you. I just need you to do a quick spell is all."

"Wha-what spell?"

"It's just that darn Giles turned Spike human."

"Well don't tell her." Spike argued, being ignored like always.

"I need you to read through this book here and reverse it." Buffy held up the book so Tara could see. "Easy peasy and you can go."

"I don't-" Tara shook her head and rattled her chains trying to see if there was any way out if she even was able to get out of them. There wasn't. "I don't believe you."

Buffy leaned in closer, blindly handing the book back behind her. Angelus and Spike argued silently until Angelus sighed and took it from her. She rolled her eyes towards Tara before putting her best smile forward. "I made a promise to Willow that I'll make to you. I'm not gonna lie to you. Any of you. So when I say I'll let you go, I mean it. That way the whole band of save-the-day Scoobies can stay away and not get into a fight. Yet at least. We all know they'll be coming to save you soon and I'd really rather do this the easy way."

"What about her?" Tara nodded towards the other captive.

"Oh Cordy? No sorry. She has to stay. You don't want to see Angelus when he's bored."

"I won't do it if-"

"No, see you will. Because if you don't then they'll all come running and I can't promise someone won't get hurt. I can't promise Willow won't get hurt. So you have two choices. Do the spell and leave, go back to your friends, tell them what happened, what we said, what we're up to and all that. Or don't do it, stay locked up, watch as everyone you love gets hurt, and get hurt yourself. Your choice."

"Tara…look." Cordy called over in a panic as she saw the other girl about to agree. "Look at me." Tara finally did, her eyes glossy and her hands shaking. "I know what they're saying makes sense but they're vampires. She's lying to you."

"Angelus would you please shut her up." Buffy sighed.

"Think! They're soulless! You can't believe what-" Cordy's shouting was cut off as Angelus knocked her across the temple with the book and knocked her out competently.

"So Tara, like I said." Buffy smiled as Tara's horrified face came back to looking at her. "Your choice. But choose soon. We don't know when the Scooby brigade is coming in for the rescue."

"You'll let me go back to them?"

"Alive and unharmed. Minus the bruises form earlier. Sorry about that."

Tara eyed Cordy and the rest, her eyes falling on the book in Angelus' hands. "It's dark magic."

"Just a tiny bit of dark magic. Nothing you can't handle. You know how to control yourself. You can do it no problem."

Tara gave another sweep around the room and weighed her options again. She couldn't find a third. "Okay."

"Okay!" Buffy clapped her hands together and gestured towards the other vamps. "Let's get her down and more comfortable. I have all the stuff you could possibly need upstairs, let's go boys."

Buffy led the way as Angelus let Tara down and she was escorted to the first floor. She followed them towards the back into a room that had been cleaned out and filled with a ton of magical implications. There were spices and orbs and candles and crystals and powders, everything Buffy had seen used by Giles at the cells and in other spells with stuff from the Magic Box, just in case.

"When did you get this stuff?" Spike asked eying everything around them. It look like a cross between a hoarding cabinet for witches and the crazy cat lady's basement.

"You were brooding a long time." Buffy shrugged as she pushed Tara through to the middle where a light and table were waiting for her. Turning she froze and her eyes bugged as she caught sight of the dead body of the man she forgot having killed lying near the doorway. She got hungry after he was done moving her stuff in! She silently gestured for Angelus to take care of it, catching the book he tossed, and turned back to the table to set it down. Tara didn't notice.

"Here you go. Spike will stay here to keep watch and I'll be back to check on you very soon."

"I'm just to watch her read?" Spike complained.

"There's a deck of cards over there. Entertain yourself."

"They're tarot cards!"

* * *

Willow slammed the door to the Magic Box open without even needing to touch it. She ran for the back room and flipped the rack of weights on their side, sending them slamming into the floor. She picked up and unwrapped the hidden book and held it in front of her as she stormed back into the shop. As she read each ingredient it flew through the air towards her and into the back room's center mat.

All that was missing was the blood of an innocent creature and dirt from the earth burned with green fire. She ran to the back alley and out to the grass residing not that far away digging up some dirt and bringing it back into the room. The fire was pretty easy, just science on her part. She grabbed a bowl and started the floating flames within, running out of the room to grab some boric acid from the shop. They really had everything there.

As soon as she added the acid and dirt she turned to work on starting the rest of the spell. In the state she was in it was easy. Too easy. She only had to think and the magic that pulled around her listened and did what she commanded. Everything flew together perfectly until the only thing she needed was the blood of the innocent. She had nothing for that so she hoped it would work with her own blood. She levitated a knife to her open palm and caught it, preparing to finish the spell and cut her other hand but she was interrupted by Xander, Dawn, and Anya crashing into the room.

"Willow?!" Xander half shouted in surprise and in fear at the sight of her. The fire was burning between them, now having changed colors due to magic and at this point glowing a harsh blue. Her eyes were still completely black as she looked over at him with the knife in her hands. The blue played off her face he couldn't help being reminded of the demons they had fought together. "I thought you were going to the mansion."

"I am." She replied coldly as she eyed the three so close to her.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked as she eyed the open book on the floor next to Willow. She went over to read the title of the spell or at least see what language it was written in but as soon as she got close enough to her Willow grabbed her by the arm and slipped the knife over her skin. She screamed at the sudden pain and struggled as Willow held her tight and watched a drop of blood fall into the fire. She let Dawn go as the flames shot up a bright purple and she started chanting again.

Dawn ran back over to Xander who held her and looked at her arm. "What the hell did you do?!" He screamed but Willow was too far gone. She chanted louder and louder and louder, blocking out everyone's worried exclamations.

"Get away from her!" Anya called out, grabbing Xander by the back of his shirt and pulling him back.

The two stumbled back into Anya as they watched Willow start to float. She flew up higher until she was just over the flames and on her last word they engulfed her completely. They all screamed at the sight but Willow didn't. She just stood there with her arms open and allowed the fire to enter her body.

Soon the flames lessened but they were still there. It was like she was on fire, burning purple flames with her skin and clothes providing the fuel. She sank to the ground and started to walk past them all, too full in her power to do any more than walk. Everything was burning her up. Her magic swam and pulled her around and around making her feel more powerful than it ever had before. She was ready.

The rest watched in stunned silence as she made her way for the door. "Willow?" Dawn tried to call her back but she just kept on moving, not answering.

"Come on." Xander ran for the weapons and tossed one to Anya. "Dawn you take care of your arm and stay here. "

"No."

"Dawn-"

"No Xander. You guys need all the help you can get."

"I don't want you out in that danger. Who knows what Willow just did. It's going to be dangerous."

"I'll stay out of the fighting. I'll just be a distraction or something. Promise."

"Fine. Anya help her wrap her arm. I'll grab some more weapons and we should follow Willow. Who knows what she'll do on the way there."

* * *

Spike had stopped looking for things to do in the room a while ago and instead was cutting into a candle with the dragon blade Buffy got him. He wasn't making anything, just chipping away and thinking. What the hell had Buffy been trying to do in that room and why the hell did Angelus always have the worst timing? It couldn't have been what he thought it was. She was just acting weird after having a stake through the chest. That had to be it.

He peeked back up at Tara and caught her flipping back through a spell for the third time. He couldn't linger on Buffy if it meant getting his vamp self back.

"You figure it out yet?"

"This doesn't make sense." She whispered, reading through it again.

"You better have a good follow up to that statement."

"It's just…" She tried looking up at him but found her panic returning at she caught his eye and remembered he wasn't on her side anymore.

"Just what? I may be human but that won't stop me from beating it out of you." To make his point his slammed the point of his blade into the table, making it stick up on its own.

Tara gulped as she stared at the dragon and looked back down at the book. "Y-you shouldn't be awake. The spell should have had a longer cycle. H-here-" She pointed to the last passage in the description of the spell and translated the Latin out loud. "After completion the fire burns three days and three nights in the unconscious body until all that is left of the demon is ash."

"You sure that's the spell gramps did?" Spike looked over her shoulder though Latin wasn't exactly something he knew.

"It's the only one that makes sense but it hasn't been three days."

"Let's do this spells for dummies style." Spike walked back around the table and pulled his chair closer so it was directly across from her. "What exactly was he trying to do?"

"Well the spell is kind of like an exorcism spell but instead of expelling the demon it kills it within the body. This fire, magical fire, is created using a part of the same kind of demon. Then it gets drawn to the body through an injection."

"Neither of us was poked with any sticks."

"Somehow the ingredients had to enter your blood stream."

"Don't know if you know this but we don't exactly have a …" Spike gasped as he remembered Giles feeding them their blood right before stomping back off to get his stuff for that spell. "Oh that bastard. He fed us magic blood mojo! But no. That spell was meant for Buffy, why would he put that stuff in both our blood bags?"

"Um."

"The spell was meant for her not me! Was he trying for both of us?"

"I d-d-don't th-think so." Tara looked back down at the table as she spoke, his yelling making her want to curl up in a corner and hide. "It's only-only one at a t-time."

"What?! So I didn't have to push her out of the way? That spell was coming for me the whole time?! Why?!"

"Probably wanted to see if it would work." Buffy chuckled from the door having heard his yelling all the way up the stairs. "Good old reliable Giles. Chickening out at the last minute. Double checking to see if I would live. Well good for him seeing as how you were slow roasting from the inside."

"Why am I always the test dummy?!"

"That's a personal problem Spike." Buffy walked towards his side of the table as he picked up his blade and pouted, going back to slicing the candle. "So Tara, Spike wasn't out for the full three. What's that mean?"

"He must have done it wrong."

"Wrong?!" An entire chunk of wax flew through the air and hit Tara in the face making her flinch. "The bloody ponce did the spell wrong?!"

"I d-don't- I mean I- I um-"

"Spike be nice to Tara or she won't make any sense." Buffy put a hand on his shoulder and he slumped back into his chair. "What if he wasn't able to finish the spell?"

"Y-you mean since y-you k-killed h-h-"

"Yes, yes. Oh no I killed Giles. I'm evil." Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes internally hating the fact that she had to be so nice to the stuttering idiot. She knew Tara would just shut down if she started yelling. But oh god did she want to. "Yes I killed him before he could finish. Now what does that mean? And try not to stutter. It's getting really annoying."

"The sp-spell was meant to kill the demon. Only the demon. If the f-fire didn't burn long enough to kill it-"

"Then it's not dead." Buffy smiled down at Spike who started to pout just a little less. "So what? It's just on the rebound? Injured and waiting?"

"How do I get it back?" Spike asked Tara, pushing the book back under her nose.

"It should just come back on its own. Right Tara?"

"I don't know. I guess."

"How long am I supposed to be stuck like this for?!" Spike went back to his full pout as he ran the blade back over the remaining chuck of candle.

"Careful Spike." Buffy grabbed the blade mid slice. "You don't want to make yourself bleed. Can't promise anything if you do." She winked down at him and he smirked back up at her, knowing that was at least some sign of flirting. Still she could have been mental from the stake injury. Before he could think on it more she was talking again. "Anything you can do to speed that up?"

Tara looked up when Buffy spoke at her but quickly dropped her gaze yet again. "Umm…"

"Look it up and call me when you find something." Buffy left the room and Tara started to duck back into the book.

It took her a while until she found a spell that could probably work. She made the mistake of looking up when she found it before trying to skip past it and pretend to keep looking.

"I wouldn't try stalling." Spike noticed the hesitation. "She means what she says."

Tara sighed and flipped back to the spell with a frown. "I don't know if it will work. It's a healing spell but- I don't know."

"Well get to it." Tara started to move about the room and set up the spell though she knew it was a bad idea. Dark magic used for healing wasn't a good idea and she really didn't want to do dark magic anyway.

"You know you were probably my favorite. Next to Dawn." Spike watched her pick up items in the room, not bothering to help her as she cleared the table away and brought chalk over to the floor. She just looked up at him in confusion before carrying on. "At least you were civil. Can't say the same for the whelp and your girl there. Gramps either." She didn't really know how to respond and he continued to watch as she moved about. "You know, a lot of stuff is going to happen soon. If you want I can talk to the slayer, see if we can cut you a deal. Seems fair."

Tara glared over at him as she grabbed a few black candles from a box near his chair. "I don't want a deal."

"We'll see how you feel later on."

Tara continued in silence until everything was set up and all that was left to do was to actually do it. She sat in the middle of her upside down pentagram and started to light the candles around her. She looked up at Spike and shook her head, wondering what was going ot happen and if she was really going to be able to leave and see Willow ever again. "What happens if I can't do the spell?"

Spike shrugged as he watched the flames carefully, still unsure if that part of his demon was still active. "Then you stay till you can. Or till Red can. But from what I've seen, she doesn't need any more dark magic. She's already in deep."

Tara found herself looking back down at the ground as she remembered the fight she had with Willow about dark magic and how Willow was so casual about her eyes turning black. Then she looked at the book and remembered Willow being so entranced by it that she didn't even register anything happening around her. Willow didn't need any more dark magic. "I'm done then."

Spike smirked down at her as he popped off the ground and sauntered over to the door. "Slayer! The witch is done!"

Buffy showed up in a matter of seconds and knelt down next to Tara. "Get started Tara. But don't try anything or I will bite you."

Tara nodded and gestured towards Spike and the empty space in front of her in the chalk circle. He sat down and waited as Tara nervously started chanting. She added her ingredients to a bowl on her left and placed a few on Spike's body, all while keeping one eye on Buffy who was staring at her every move.

Already she knew she was in trouble. The usual spark that came with her magic was far too weak. She didn't have Willow by her side to help with the power boost and she didn't do big spells by herself ever. She could feel the dark in her words and she kept pushing it away. She didn't want this and the magic within her knew it.

The final part of the spell was coming up and she picked up a small rock and placed it on her palm and sliced it open. The blood pooled and she covered the rock, adding it to the bowl, and took a drop on her finger and placed it on Spike's lip. He licked at it and recoiled in disgust from the metallic taste. Human blood as human sucked.

With a look towards the vamps Tara stuttered and picked it back up, trying to complete the rest of the spell correctly. As soon as the last word was spoke she looked up and Spike fell back in pain. That was probably a good sign that the spell was working but it didn't stop her from tensing in fear as Buffy jumped into their circle and wound a hand into her hair painfully.

"What did you do?" Buffy growled into her ear but a few moments later Spike stopped wriggling in pain and sat up panting. "Spike?" Buffy called out to him and let Tara go. He ran a hand over his head and swept the sweat from his brow. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head as he tried to change back into his vampire form. Once, twice, three times and nothing happened. "Still human."

"Well then Tara," Buffy spun back towards the pentagram. "I guess-"

"Slayer," Angelus stepped into the door and nodded at her. She smiled back.

"I guess we'll just have to let you go."

"Let her go?" Spike sat up straighter to get a better look and see if she was joking. "I'm still human."

"A deals a deal Spike. She tried and we said we'd let her go. So go on. Stop gaping at us and run outside."

Tara looked at the three of them with apprehension. Something was off in the room, she couldn't trust them, but she wasn't about to be locked back up in that basement with Cordy. She would just have to tell the others and they would get Cordy back later. Before she could change her mind she darted past Angelus and ran towards the light in the house streaming through the windows. She wasn't sure where the door was but at least she could see that way. Pretty soon she recognized the path they took when they first captured Buffy and Spike and she ran in that direction straight out the front door.

It was only a few feet later in her sprinting when she tripped and fell, her mouth falling open and panic returning in full force.

"Willow?"


	20. I'll Burn Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to say thank you to my commenters. You make me very excited/happy! Thank you :)

* * *

Standing before her was not her girlfriend. It was some sort of demon. It had to be. The black eyes were on full display and she was floating off the ground. Oh and she was on fire! A deep purple fire that burned across her skin and clothes without actually burning anything.

Magic crackled around her body and kept Tara a good distance away, making her have to yell her name out louder in hopes that she would hear. "Willow?!" Willow's head snapped at the sound of her voice but all she did was stare. She didn't move to help Tara off the ground or anything.

"Don't get too close!" Xander came running around Willow to help Tara up instead, keeping as wide a circle as possible to avoid the flames.

"What happened to her?"

"She did a spell. Anya has the book. We don't know what she did."

"Baby?" Tara whispered as she watched Willow continue to float and stare at them. For whatever reason she wouldn't move any closer or farther away. Just stared. "Can you hear me? If you can, you need to stop alright? I'm okay. I'm here. You need to let it go. You need to come back to me." A tiny flash of recognition passed across Willow's face as she tilted her head in her girlfriend's direction. Tara clapped her hands together in excitement and continued to try and move closer as the flames started to die. "That's it. Come back to me. I love you. Come back."

"Well ain't that sweet." Willow's attention soon shifted to the door behind Tara where Angelus, Spike, and Buffy were huddled around. Her flames returned to full force in an instant making Tara and Xander have to reel back for fear of getting burned. When they were able they turned and saw Spike was the one talking, spinning his knife around in his palm. "True love."

"Willow..." Buffy smirked as she took in her former best friend's appearance. She really didn't handle things very well and Buffy was kind of hoping for that.

The amount of power rolling off her was crushing and intimidating. The flames screamed danger and she smelled off because of them. It wasn't real fire so she wasn't really burning. It was more like she smelled of fire itself. That and magic. Dark, dark magic.

The feeling Buffy got whenever she was around her sire was there and it was so much more prominent than it ever had been before. They were connected and she could _feel_ it. As she looked into the witch's big black eyes she knew it was because of all that dark magic. It was like she was finally meeting her true maker. This was her true vampire sire.

"Seems you got an upgrade." Anya and Dawn jogged into the picture and Buffy threw her hands up in greeting, never taking her eyes completely off Willow. "And the gangs all here!"

All in one fluid move Willow raised her hand in Buffy's direction, Xander grabbed Tara and slammed them both to the ground, and purple flames started shooting out of her fingertips spiraling directly for the blonde vamp. Buffy jumped out of the doorway having felt the move in their connection at the same time she made it.

"Willow?!" Dawn screamed from behind though Willow didn't acknowledge her in any way.

Buffy's jump was just in time as the magical fire was fast and quickly exploded against the stone she had just been standing at. It continued to burn on the bricks never growing or dying even without a source.

Angelus, even though he also had to jump away from the flames, was very excited by the whole thing as he cackled away. "Looking good Red!"

"It's alright Dawnie." Buffy pushed off the ground and fixed her hair as she walked closer to the witch, fully aware there was a chance that that fire could hurt her. "She's just mad I took Tara for a bit. I had every intention of returning her. And didn't I keep that promise?" Tara was stuck in Xander's arms with her mouth open in shock both not knowing and unable to answer that question. She was starting to look like a blow-up doll. "I let you go running back to the gang. Never said how far away that would be. But still. I didn't lie." Willow's heat spiked and had her reeling back fast as the flames licked out and almost came into contact with her skin.

"Careful pet." Spike was right next to her in an instant with _his too-hot-to-be-dead_ hand on her shoulder ready to pull her back at a moment's notice . "She's hot and ready to blow."

"All demoned out like this..." Angelus shamelessly dragged his eyes over every curve of her burning body. "I agree. It's an improvement."

"Just look at her." Buffy started circling around her, this time a bit further away. "How much dark magic did you have to swallow up to look like this?" Buffy kept walking until she reached the other Scoobies now all huddling together unsure of what they should do.

Do they fight the Big Bad vamps or their own Big Bad witch?

"I leave and you go all dark to get me back. I come back and you go all dark to make me leave. I just can't leave you guys alone can I?" Ripping the book out of Anya's hand while she was gaping was just too easy. All these open mouths really were starting to create a porno vibe. "This book doesn't even have a title." She wiggled it in Willow's direction though she refused to turn from her hovering position. "Just a big creepy picture of a raven. Giles wouldn't have let you play with this."

Spike coughed when she chucked the book hard into his chest but he caught it in time to toss it casually back towards the mansion wall and let it be forgotten in the shadows. It made him have to put his knife away though. It wasn't as though anyone was looking at it like he hoped, fear in their eyes. They were too distracted by the scary witch. Oh no! She wasn't that scary.

"Oh right, he's dead." Buffy continued to circle around the unmoving Willow as she crossed her arms and tapped her chin. "So who does that leave? Ah, I know. Mommy Tara! Sweet, responsible momma Tara. She gets all tied up and you bring out the good toys. I wonder how she feels about that?" Buffy leaned back towards the humans but jumped out of the way as Willow lifted her arm again and sent another spurt of fire in her general direction. The entire group of humans screamed and shuffled away when the fire landed only a foot away from where Tara had been huddled with the others.

Buffy chuckled as Willow finally turned to face her completely. Still laughing she walked directly behind the rest of the group, throwing an arm over both Dawn and Xander. "What about you guys? How do you feel about the flame thrower version?" She looked at each of them with a smile and enjoyed breathing in the fear that showed in their eyes.

Their hearts were going a mile a minute and they continuously kept fidgeting with the weapons in their hands. Should they attack the vamp so close to them that had once protected and cared for each and every one of them? Or should they keep their eyes open in case the hothead witch felt like shooting off again? They had no clue what to do. Of course they didn't. All their leaders became a vamp, died, or turned bad witch. They were just like lost puppies. So it was her job to kick them back into line.

"Go ahead guys." She squeezed both their shoulders and smiled down at Anya and Tara. "You can talk. Try to get her to calm down."

"Why would we listen to you?" Xander spat back at her over his shoulder quickly deciding to stare back at Willow.

"You don't have to…but if she doesn't stop aimlessly throwing purple fireballs then you risk becoming a Xander flavored BBQ."

His eyes directly jumped from Willow to the grass being burned by the horribly guided shot she made towards Tara's legs. The flames didn't seem to die or grow. They were just a continuous bright purple burning the dark green. The same went for the fire on the stone in the doorway. The flames were still going.

"Ah. What a good point you make." He coughed awkwardly as he shuffled out from under Buffy's grip and stepped just a bit closer to the walking (floating) nightmare. "Hey Willow, Xander here. So I see you're having a bit of a bad day. I get that. Believe me I do. But you really need to listen to me. I know we're at vamp central and they are surrounding us and they took Tara and they'll probably try to kill us and…I'm not really helping here am I?"

"What Mr. Rambling is trying to say is-"Anya walked up behind him still kind of using him as a shield. "Get over it."

" _No_ that's _not_ what I was going to say!" Xander hurriedly amended while throwing a look of disbelief at Anya. "Actually, I was going to say you shouldn't be exploding things in every direction. If you calm down and I don't know...start aiming, then the rest of us will have your back. We always have your back. We just want to help you. We care about you and you have us worried so...So, let us help you."

"Could you hurry it up?" Angelus groaned from the wall he was leaning up against near Spike, his head thrown back into the stone with his impatience. "If I wanted to see crappy sap like this I would be watching PBS."

Buffy sighed and pushed Dawn and the others humans away to walk over to the boys so she could yell at them quietly. "Shut up or she'll start up again."

"So let her." Angelus challenged. "I thought the point of this was to fight."

"It is and we will. But do you not see the part where it's fire?!"

Tara showed up behind Xander as the vamps were busy mumbling to each other. "Willow, I'm okay." Taking the extra step closer around him she reached out and tried to lay a hand on Willow's arm again but the flames were just too hot and she was forced to keep her distance. "We can go home and figure out a plan."

Willow's hands curled into fists at her side and she burned just the slightest bit brighter. "We have no home." Her voice didn't sound her own. She sounded disconnected as she looked straight on. "They burned it." Flames grew higher still and she gained a few more inches off the ground. "I'll burn them."

Buffy was slightly preoccupied with shushing the boys and explaining the newly developing plan (when was she supposed to know Willow would witch out with magic _fire_?) when Willow turned both palms towards her back and surged her magic forward. Dawn's scream was what made Buffy turn just as the flames shot over her head, past Angelus' and straight into the side of their mansion. The blast had enough force to wiggle a few rocks free, raining them down on all the vampires' heads including Spike. He was able to run away from the larger rocks without any knocking him out with only a few bruises added on to his human injuries.

Dawn's screaming didn't stop. She was staring at her hands as she continued, both of which were burning with the purple fire. Only the flames didn't just lick her skin like they did with Willow, they were actually burning her. She slammed her hands into the ground to try and put them out but it didn't do a thing. They continued to burn.

The humans were crowding around her to see what was wrong. Willow was curled up on the ground where Dawn had pushed her down, no longer floating. Buffy ran over, tossing the humans all away so she could crouch down in front of her sister alone. Dawn continued to cry and curled into her body on the ground refusing to bring her hands out.

Buffy slowly stood and rounded her way back over to Willow. She stared down at her with all the fury she had. No one could hurt her sister unless she said so. "Fix it."

Willow barely understood what she said and just moved around on the ground until she was on her knees. Buffy looked back at Dawn who was in Spike's arms now. The rest were trying to get close but moving back at his dangerous warning glares. Buffy shook her head at Willow's black eyes. She was completely oblivious to what she had done.

Again Buffy had to take it into her own hands. She took the few steps over to the others and grabbed Tara roughly by the back of her hair. Tara screamed and Willow's head snapped up towards the sound. The others tried to grab at Tara's legs but Buffy just kicked them off and dragged her back towards the entrance they came out of, the stones still burning with the unrelenting fire.

"Fix it." Buffy started again calmly. "Or Tara will be burned alive." Tara continued to struggle as she was held close to the dark flame, the second time in 24 hours that this had happened to her.

There wasn't a point to her wiggles. Buffy was too strong and she couldn't move from the position as both her threat and her shield.

Willow shook her head quickly and the veil of darkness started to lift and she momentarily understood what had happened. The realization of who was in danger washed over her and she gasped at Tara's whimpers only dragged away by the loud sobbing of Dawn. Her eyes widened in terror. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. No one was supposed to touch the fire but her. No one was supposed to get in her way! She looked back over at the waiting Buffy, Tara getting closer and closer to the fire in the door.

"I can't." She whispered in defeat, continually shaking her head over and over.

Buffy shrugged and pulled Tara closer to her. "Then she dies."

"I can't!"

"Wait!" Xander ran forward with his stake still in his hands. "Buffy don't!" He continued to run towards her until Angelus' fist came into direct contact with his jaw.

"Finally!" Angelus yelled as he jumped back at Xander and knocked the stake from his hands, the two starting their fight while circling the group and the stationary flames from earlier blasts. With Dawn's continuous vocal reminder, the fact that Xander already had one badly burned arm, and the vampire thing- both of them knew they didn't want to get anywhere near those fires.

"You want to tell me you can't again Willow?" Buffy shook her head and let her fangs fall fast, keeping them right over Tara's pulse point. "I'll drink her up slow while her other half burns. After all, it would be such a waste of such sweet blood."

"Stop!" Willow was coming back to her anger as the flames hugging her grew higher and her body started to lift again.

Angelus had landed a few good hits and even allowed the boy to get a few of his own. Anya had tried to get involved as everyone else was down for the count but it was really hard when they kept using the fire to block each other out. While she was trying to unscrew a bottle of holy water Xander had a stroke of luck and managed to grab the stake off the ground and jab it into Angelus' leg causing him to be pushed towards the flames in the grass. While he was sprawled out Angelus stumbled back on solid ground and accidentally kicked forward, directly into his temple and knocked the boy into unconsciousness. Anya shouted and ran forward only to be tripped up by Spike darting out a leg from behind Dawn.

"You better try!" Buffy screamed over everyone else.

Willow continued to shake her head but froze when she saw Tara's skin start to break from the bone of Buffy's tooth. A single dark red bead of blood wound its way down her neck and dipped over her chest and under her shirt. In a rush she combed over the magic in her body and came up with a plan. She didn't think it would work but she had to try something or Tara would die and Dawn would continue to burn.

With Buffy's shouting, Dawn's sobbing, and Tara's screaming she dug deep inside herself and joined them. She pulled every ounce of sound she had within her and yelled as loud as she could towards the sky sending every bit of power she could grab up and through her body.

Everyone (conscious) watched as the flames around her body all dove for her throat and combined in an upward spurt out of her mouth and towards the sky. The purple burned brighter outside her body and the spiral of heat lit the scene around them in a pale lavender. It continued to burn and burn, up and up, until every last bit left her body and it all dissolved into a smoke too dark to be natural.

Willow collapsed into herself as she fell to the ground. In an instant Buffy could feel their connection fall and start to waver back to the natural feeling when she wasn't all dark. Still she wouldn't let Tara go. She gave up the flames, now she had to take Dawn's away.

With eyes now spotted in black she found and crawled her way over to Dawn. Spike moved aside, only enough to allow her access. Dawn looked up at her but wouldn't move.

"Give her your hands pet." Spike demanded gently and she cried out again.

She looked up at Willow's open palms and shook her head until her hands were forced out by Spike behind her. Willow took the burning palms and he ducked away as she started to chant. It sounded very similar to the chanting she did at the shop but she didn't know what she was saying. She just kept chanting as the flames started to crawl from Dawn's bloodied ones and up her arm and into her body.

Once every single flame was licking Willow's skin instead of her own Dawn flat out fainted back onto the grass of the ground, her skin hanging off in chunks as her hands lay against her jeans. Tara was thrown by Buffy in their direction, the three vampires all crowding in front of Willow now.

Anya helped Tara up and they both inched behind Willow who was now only burning on her forearms making her semi-more approachable.

"Are you okay?" Anya asked Tara quickly.

"Yeah." Tara nodded back and looked to the ground to pick up one of the lost stakes. She wasn't much of a fighter and she didn't like the odds in this stand off.

"The good witch, the bad witch, the lost little girl, and Todo too!" Angelus laughed as he kicked Xander's bad arm and caused the white bandage to break open.

"Hey!" Anya yelled and raised her holy water and stake.

"And what are you gonna do? Your witch is dry. You think a pathetic bunch of humans like you can stand up to three vamps like us?"

Tara sucked in a breath as she realized, "Not three."

"What?" Anya whispered back harshly, even though everyone could hear her.

"Spike's not a vampire. He's human. Giles turned him human! Temporarily."

"I told you we shouldn't have told her!" Spike complained to Buffy who was too busy watching Willow's face tilt and lift to a smile.

Buffy inched closer, her golden eyes scanning the area as Spike and Angelus spanned out to surround them all. She was all too aware of the fire that continued to burn around her on top of the fire flicking Willow's arms.

Even with Angelus and herself being the only ones with a demon face the humans were helpless and they knew it. "Seems you're out of fuel there Wills."

"I have enough for you." Willow raised a hand and shot the flames from one arm as Buffy quickly jumped away and shouted for the boys to, "Move!".

Angelus was nearest to Tara and it was really sad how little a fight she put up. She tried to aim the stake towards his heart but he grabbed her wrist and punched her temple with a sigh. This wasn't as much fun as he thought it would be.

Spike had Anya who had opened her holy water and was pitifully trying to splash it on his body. He looked at her with the most ridiculous amount of confusion and slapped the bottle from her hands. She laughed a little uncomfortably before bolting off towards the trees in hope of stalling or at least zig-zagging. That was a thing right?

Angelus was too fast and had her blocked off in a manner of seconds. "You burn by sun but not by water?" She turned back to run the other way. Spike shrugged at him and kicked Anya back to the ground. Angelus rolled his eyes and kicked Anya's head. Was he really the only one making people unconscious? They would be so lost without him. Spike sent him a death glare for taking his knock out but of course the big brute wasn't paying attention.

Willow lost all the fire on the arm she shot with and the remnants on her left were all she had. She kept her mind focused, not even realizing Tara and Anya were being beat, as she followed Buffy with her eyes, the other girl continuously moving about.

"So Willow, what was the point of the theatrics if you were just going to kill me?"

"I wasn't going to kill you Buffy."

"Right."

"Until you threatened Tara."

"You know you shouldn't show your weaknesses like you do. You get too emotional. I let Tara go! And look what you still did. You hurt one of your own. You hurt Dawn."

"Like you care."

"That's the secret. You don't know what I care about anymore. While you...I got you all figured out."

"Not for long. I'm putting you down."

"That's right Willow. Kill me. Kill the monster you made of your bestest friend in the whole wide world! See if you can live with yourself. Though you won't have to for long. Seems you're alone here." Willow didn't respond as she continued to circle. She just lifted her clean fire-free arm in her direction. Buffy scoffed, "All outta ammo?"

Willow didn't respond again and just flicked her wrist. Buffy tiled her head, not feeling any magic come into her body but tripped when she walked into the branch Willow had moved into her next step.

In a sudden lack of grace she fell, heading directly for one of the everlasting fires on the ground. She reeled back and managed to save herself by falling onto her heels but didn't see Willow's arms switch position.

It was the last move Willow would ever make and she knew it. As soon as Buffy burned Angelus or Spike, well not Spike since he was apparently human, but Angelus would kill her. Maybe he would drink her fast or maybe he would snap her neck. Maybe he would live up to his reputation and do unspeakable things to her body before making her beg for death. It didn't matter.

This was what she needed to do. She didn't create Angelus or Spike and the others would be able to handle them. Spike would be human and they defeated Angelus before. They had to defeat them both again. They had to. She would be gone after dealing with the thing she created. This was her responsibility as was everything that happened. Giles, the house, anyone else Buffy killed, the pain Tara felt, the guilt the Scoobies went through. It was all her fault.

She wasn't sure where she would go. Maybe there was a heaven, maybe there wasn't. Wherever the Powers That Be sent her she only wanted to know that Tara was safe. That she didn't leave her to mercilessly die in the hands of soulless creatures. That she made it out alive. That she loved her and forgave her for what she was about to do.

"I'm sorry." Willow whispered in the wind and started to send what was left of her power through her palm, aiming directly for Buffy's vampire heart.

Just as soon as the magic started to leave her she knew she made a mistake and screamed out in anger and pain. Her magic missed and instead of hitting Buffy it hit one of the many trees, instantly catching it on fire. She brought up her arms to find all her flames had passed and she was truly on empty. She had no other weapon.

She looked down for the pain in her gut that threw her off and saw the golden flash of a blade being pulled from her stomach. Following the blade up she caught eyes with Spike who smiled at her, wiggled his eyebrows, and pushed her to the ground. She gasped out in shock and moved a hand over her midsection where the waves of pain stemmed from and came up with a wet hand. She put her hand back and applied pressure but found her eyes dropping already. The last thing she saw before blacking out were black leather boots, Buffy shifting human and her smiling like someone who had just won the lottery.


	21. Hard Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is a bitch. Sorry this is late. Warnings were on chapter one and if you wanted to skip those triggers you are probably reading the wrong fic.

* * *

"Hey. Anyone conscious?"

"Xander?"

"Cordy?"

"Cordy? As in Cordelia? As in your ex-girlfriend?!"

Xander ignored Anya and looked around towards where he heard Cordy's voice and the clinking of chains. The room was sunk in absolute darkness, the only light coming from the dull night sky peeking through a small barred window. There was only enough to make out basic shapes and he could see the straps cuffed around his arms. One pull against them and he realized that the clanking he had heard came from him. A chill ran up his spine as he figured out exactly where he was and who had put him there.

It pulled his muscles to move and pulled the skin attached to the burn on his arm but what was a little more pain in hopes of escape? His head was aching like crazy from where Angelus had kicked him and his sides still hurt from the last round. Pain was just every day for him now.

"What are you doing here?" He asked while pulling harder.

"I had a vision about Buffy in LA and-"

"Wait. A vision? What vision?"

"Yeah visions. As in plural. This half demon, Doyle, gave them to me. He was such a..." Cordy smiled at the ground without finishing that sentence. "Anyway the Powers That Be shove visions of people in danger in my head. I see and we go help."

"Like superpower TV in your head?"

"Um no but okay. Well I came with Angel to help before Buffy took his soul. I really forgot how much I hate Angelus. And right after- oh my god would you stop jiggling those chains?!" Xander stopped his jumping around and touched his feet back to the ground. Apparently whatever these chains were attached was strong. They could hold his weight and didn't budge an inch as he pulled down with all he had. "My head is going to explode. Besides, there's no point. I've tried."

"I'm Anya by the way." She cut in pointedly. "Xander's current girlfriend and wonderful lover. Who he loves very much."

"Nice to meet you." Cordy deadpanned, unsure if the girl was really serious or not.

"How long have you been here?" Xander asked without comment as he continued to swing on the ground trying to find any point of weakness. He bumped into Anya more than once but she didn't mind much as she was too distracted trying everything she thought of to get out too.

"Long enough to know what's going on. Is Giles really..."

"Yeah."

"And Buffy is really a vampire? You guys didn't happen to fix that did you?"

"No." Xander gave up with a sigh and tried to find the most comfortable position for his arm instead. It really wasn't going to happen. "And I'm assuming by our fancy new bracelets we didn't win?"

"No." Anya answered him back feeling the cuff on her wrist as best she could by bending her fingers down. "After you were rendered unconscious. Again. Willow went crazy dragon lady and breathed out the fire. She fixed Dawn but-"

"How is she?"

"She passed out. Her hands didn't look too good." Xander didn't really know what to say to that. Not when it was Willow who did it. "Then it was like dominoes. Tara was knocked out and oh! Spike's human."

"He's what?!"

"Yeah." Cordy nodded along remembering to ask them what had happened and what they meant by fire after she got all the core facts. "They tried to get Tara to fix him. I don't know if it worked."

"I don't think so. Anyway then I got caught between the two boys from hell. Which is much less hot than it sounds. Buffy and Willow were fighting but I don't know what happened."

"I hope she's okay." Xander whispered.

"Which one?" Anya half joked.

"I don't know anymore. I really don't."

Cordy could feel the weight of her shackles dragging her back down to the floor in the silence that followed. Angel was gone, Buffy was gone, Giles was dead, they were all captured, Angel Inc. didn't know a thing..."So no one's left?"

"Don't you have someone coming for you? He asked hopefully." Xander chuckled uncomfortably.

She shook her head even though he couldn't see. "Angelus called Angel Inc. They're not coming. No one is coming. It's just us."

A heavy silence fell between them again as each one tried to think of anything that could possibly give them hope at all.

"Well…maybe Willow got out you know?" Anya shrugged as best she could with her arms pinned up. "Maybe she won against Buffy."

"If she won we wouldn't be stuck here." Xander shook his chains with greater enthusiasm ignoring the part of him that knew he had just fought with them for minutes with no result.

"No but maybe she took Tara and ran for help. Maybe that's why she's not here."

"No." Another voice could be heard in the dark and the chains started to jangle from another corner of the basement. "I'm here. Again."

"Tara?" Xander called over his shoulder, unable to turn and see where the noise was coming from.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?" Cordy called over and Tara gave a weak "I think so."

"Whoa. Asking people if they are okay? Visions that help people? Who are you and what have you done with the Cordy we knew and … tolerated?"

"Ha ha Xander. I forgot how terribly unfunny you are."

"Where's Willow? And Dawn?" Tara's questions had them dropping the impending fight. "Are they down here too?"

"If they are they're not up yet." Xander answered.

"There are lights." Cordy said looking up. "But the switch is at the top of the stairs. Usually the moon shines through the window but it must be cloudy."

"Blame Willow for that."

"Anya-"

"I'm just saying. She puffed and left plenty of clouds of smoke behind. It's not like she's here to blame anyway. If she was she would have magic mojoed us out by now. You saw what she was like with all that dark magic. If Giles was right then she would have stopped Buffy and we would be eating pizza at our apartment right now. Either she's unconscious or-"

"Anya-"

"What? You said it yourself. If she won we wouldn't be stuck here or at least Tara wouldn't. The chances that Buffy kept the only person that could actually hurt her alive is-"

"Anya!"

"What?!" In the pause that followed and with the advanced sense of hearing accompanying total blindness she picked up on the quiet sniffles of Tara behind her. "Oh. Right. I mean, I'm sure Willow's not dead. She's just planning or something."

"What about you Tara?" Cordy asked jumping over the horrible silence that left. "You're a witch right? That's why Buffy asked you to do the spell before?"

"Buffy can only be affected by dark magic." Xander answered for her.

"We think. We don't actually know." Anya reminded him.

"Well Tara do you know any dark magic?"

"No. Buffy made me try and I just…I can't do it."

"Okay. Okay. Well you can do regular magic right?"

"Yeah. Not well. Usually Willow helps me. I can't do much on my own."

"That's fine. We'll figure it out. I have an idea."

* * *

Dawn woke up looking up at a dark ceiling made of stone and wood. She didn't have time to think about what had happened because as soon as she tried to push herself up and off the bed she suddenly felt a screaming pain pulse out of her hands. In a flash she remembered the flames eating away at her flesh and she gasped. She couldn't see much in the dark but she could feel the air stinging her hands all over. She tried to bend her fingers and cried out by the pain that attacked her again.

"Dawn." Buffy was there in the door a moment later entering her room, turning on the lights, and sitting on the end of her bed. "Are you okay?"

"Where am I?"

"Calm down. Breathe." She put a hand on her sister's leg as she waited for her to calm, listening as her heart started to slow down. "You're still at the mansion."

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're alive. Just calm down and let me see your hands."

That's when she looked down and really saw the damage done. It didn't look natural. It was like she was looking at the hands of someone else only attached to her arm. From the base of her wrist up, only where she had touched Willow with her palms, it was covered in red. Some parts were harsher than others with patches where the skin had boiled away that looked near black. Her heart jumped in her chest and the edges of her vision started to blur. "No." She shook her head and pulled them into her chest, curling into the corner of the room the bed rested against.

"Dawn I can smell the blood from here so let me look." Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes at Dawn's behavior. It wasn't like she was going to lick her hand. Alright it was a thought but it was only because she was hungry from the fight.

"Better let us take a peek." Spike walked through her door and brought a small wrap of white bandage and a water to her side.

Dawn looked back and forth between the two before deciding she wasn't going to get much of a choice anyway. She used her shoulders to wipe the tears from her eyes before putting on her best brave face and moving back toward Buffy while holding out her arms. Buffy tisked as she turned Dawn's hands over in hers, careful not to touch the blackened flesh. It was hard to ignore the pure white color of bone sticking out on one finger. Dawn had to be in shock or she would have been screaming a lot more.

"Water's got soap in it so it'll sting." Spike nodded towards the bottle he brought. "Nothing you can't handle right Little Bit?"

The water was opened quick and Buffy ran it gently over her hands letting it spill onto the floor near the bed. Dawn hissed in pain but it was over with quick and the water was capped and chucked back to a different part of the bed. "Now either I can wrap them with you awake or Spike can knock you out. We don't have any meds so it's your choice."

Dawn looked at Spike who was giving her a sympathetic gaze but she wasn't sure she could trust them knocking her out. She was sure the smart choice would be to keep an eye on every move they did, even if it would hurt like hell. She could do this.

Buffy grabbed the wrap from Spike and started to unravel it. "I can't believe Willow did this to you."

"She didn't mean to." Dawn could feel Spike scoot into the small space behind her as Buffy re-grabbed her wrist and started to pull the gauze around the unbroken flesh at the base of her wrist. "I grabbed her."

"Don't make excuses Dawn. I'm happy you saved me. I really am. But she was the one that did this. It was her choice and she knew she could have hurt someone and she did. Don't try to apologize for her. She'll be doing that for herself."

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

Suddenly Dawn screamed and tried to grab her arm back as Buffy added another layer and hit her broken flesh but she had her in a vice-like grip that refused to let her budge and inch. "Spike." Spike grabbed Dawn from behind and held her arm in another death grip. Or at least that's what he was trying for. He was still stronger than her as human so it worked, just not as strong as Buffy.

She found it weird that he was so warm against her back while Buffy was the one cold grabbing her wrist. The role reversal was really freaky. Or at least it would have been if she wasn't so distracted by the pain running up her arm. She stated crying out louder as Buffy moved up further, folding in between each individual finger, and she couldn't help thrashing in Spike's arms. Containment wasn't going to be an option as she tossed and turned more and Buffy ended up almost bruising her arm in the hold. When the hand was finished and taped off Dawn just brought it into her body and refused to move as she shook hard. Spike took some pity and wrapped both arms around her as she turned her face into his shoulder to cry.

It was wrong and she knew it. These were the bad guys now. These were not her friends and family. But was it so bad that she take some comfort?

"Dawn. Dawn listen to me." Buffy moved closer and leaned into her space so she wouldn't have to let go of Spike. "You don't have to feel this pain anymore. You have a choice. Let me help you."

"How?" She sobbed looking down at the hand that still needed to be bandaged. That hurt so much more than she expected it to. She didn't what she could do with her hands like this. Everything would hurt.

"Let me make you like me."

"You mean a vampire?"

"It'll be quick. Just like falling asleep."

"No." She pushed away from Spike and sat up on her own, curling into herself as much as possible. "I don't want to be like you."

"That's cus you don't know what it's like. You won't feel this pain anymore. Look at me. See here?" She pointed to her chest. "You remember Xander shooting that stake into my chest. Well it healed. Look at it. Not completely but give it a day or two. Your hands will do the same." Dawn refused to turn to her or answer. "Or you could just wait it out. I'm sure you don't need your hands for everything right? Oh wait, you kind of do."

"Can't you just…take me to Willow or…I don't know…a hospital...something else."

"To Willow? The one that did this to you? No. It was dark magic Dawn. We're not letting dark magic be used on you again. Look, I'm trying to do something nice for you. You're my sister. Is it so wrong of me to want you around as long as I am?"

"I'd rather die!"

"Oh Dawnie." It was so like her to scream in the unearthly pitch, trying to be as defiant as possible. "Poor, Dawnie. You can't make the decision yourself can you? No one ever let you make a big decision on your own. I guess that's part my fault. I should have realized how grown up you are. Well now's your chance."

"I already said I don't want to!"

Buffy put on her best hurtful and shocked expression. "You don't want to be with me? You would join with the rest of the idiotic humans, the weak pathetic little humans who did this to me in the first place? You would betray me like that?"

"I'm not-"

"That's what it is. Don't you trust me? I'm your sister."

"You're not my sister."

"Yes I am. I want what's best for you. I want to help you." She gave a dramatic sigh. "But I guess if you do chose them, if you want to disown me like that, you can. But then you'll have betrayed me. Just like they did. And I'll be forced to treat you like them." The threat was clear in the small silence that followed, Buffy aimlessly using her sharp manicured nail to draw harsh patterns on Dawn's leg. "Why would you even want to? They don't care about you like we do. They don't listen to you. No one ever listens to you. They don't hear you. But what I'm giving you will make you strong and powerful. You can stop whining and make them listen. You can be somebody."

"I am somebody."

"Not somebody worth being. Don't you want to be that? Somebody worth being heard?"

"Hey now pet." Spike cut in. "The nibblet here is someone worth hearing. She just needs that boost is all." Dawn looked back at him with tears in her eyes unbelieving that Spike was actually trying to convince her to be a vamp like him. Sure she'd had fantasies about it before where he would be babysitting her and noticing how much she has grown and one thing lead to another. But never had she pictured anything like this where she is broken and bleeding and Buffy is there. "It's not so bad you know. Just a little prick and the world is yours. I remember what it feels like. I was terrified. I know hard to believe looking at this face. But once I said yes...everything became so much clearer."

"I'm giving you a choice Dawn. A choice I didn't have. And all you have to do is say yes. And all your pain will disappear. All you have to do is give in. No more hurting over all the death and destruction. No more worries about school or houses or slayer stuff. No more pain. Everything you could ever want with me and Spike by your side. Don't you want that?"

Dawn took longer than she thought she would to answer. The way Buffy talked...it was true but she was forgetting to mention the really giant fine line. She would become a murderer. Forever. "No. No I won't. You are not my sister. You can't make me!"

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Spike."

Dawn watched as the two left the room and she curled up onto her bed crying harder than she did before until there was nothing left in her but to give up completely and sleep. She wouldn't be able to escape anyway. Her hands hurt too terrible to touch anything.

* * *

"Angelus," Buffy skipped over to the next room and the vamp in question poked his head out of the door. "The witch up?"

"She twitched so I knocked her over the head again."

"Well don't hit her too much. Don't want her coma toast. I still want to talk to her when we're ready."

"Did you just say coma _toast_?" Spike chuckled from behind.

"Yeah. Coma toast. That's what it is isn't it?" She looked up at the boys smirking at each other like they were sharing some inside joke. "Yeah it is."

"Sure." Angelus chuckled. "I'll be careful. We don't have any jam for the Brit."

"You're one to talk, _Liam_."

"Liam?" Buffy laughed.

"The Irish like jam too you know."

"Clotted cream." Angelus amended.

"Oh yeah clotted cream." Spike groaned. "Shame the States never picked it up."

"They'd've messed it up."

"We should hop back after this. Grab –"

"What the hell on toast are you guys talking about? You know what? I don't want to know. Angelus, make that call."

Buffy shook her head and peeked over at the unconscious Willow. She was against the far wall of the empty room curled on an old mattress. Angelus had wrapped her stomach up so she wouldn't die yet but the blood was everywhere and it smelled so good. She was going to have to get blood from one of the humans downstairs before she accidentally chomped the life out of someone.

"So how's it feel?" Spike's hot human breath brushed near her ear, his hot human body lining up against her side.

"How does what feel?" She whispered back, leaning just the slightest bit back so his burning human heat reached every inch of her back and the leather of her skirt brushed up against the zipper of his jeans. He pressed back oh so slightly but she didn't miss the move. His heat made everything he did extra obvious.

"Winning."

"Oh right I guess you wouldn't know what that feels like." She looked back with a smile and shrugged at his returning frown. "I'm not done yet. I'm just getting started."

It was true. Everything had lined up perfectly but she still had a lot to do. It was daunting to think about how much she had on her plate but it would all be worth it in the end. Rome wasn't built in a day.

"Aren't you gonna thank me?" Spike brought her out of her thoughts, pulling away from her to lean against the door frame, pretending to inspect his fingernails.

"For what?" She turned back and leaned opposite him on the other side.

"Saving your life."

She smirked over at him and stretched up her arms groaning and making sure every inch of her could be seen as she pushed closer to him, arching away from the frame. "I think I had it covered."

"Had it covered? What were you gonna do? Pet the fire to make nice? You woulda burned if I hadn't come in." He subtly tried to cross his legs so she wouldn't see the hard-on growing from just the sight of her but she was a vampire. She knew exactly where all that blood was going.

She pushed up from the door quickly, so quick that his human self didn't see it coming and flinched when she ended up a few inches above his leaning figure. Deliberately she moved the tip of her tongue along the line of her bottom lip, just to watch him watch. "With the knife I gave you so technically-"

"Technically nothing." He met her close stare and she bit her lip at how dark his eyes were looking up at her from under his lashes. "You owe me. And once this heart stops beating, again, I'm gonna cash in."

"You really think I'm that easy?" She teased, leaning in further refusing to touch him but still pinning him with how close she was. He was absolutely boiling with his 98.7 degrees and she was so tempted to touch that fire but she was trying to prove a point here.

"I am." He smirked, leaning in just the slightest bit further, their noses actually bumping into each other.

"I think you'll have to work harder than that." She whispered devilishly before spinning on the spot and sauntering away with her hips swinging as far as they could go. Yes, everything was lining up wonderfully.

* * *

"Wakey wakey."

Xander gasped at the sting of a hand slamming against his cheek. "Spike? What are you doing?" He tried to sit up to find the answer for himself but found he couldn't move an inch. His eyes darted from where he lay and he picked up his head to find himself in a room that didn't hold chains or the people he was captured with. This one as much smaller and brighter. That couldn't be good. "Where am I?"

"You like it?" Spike flourished a hand over the contraption Xander was struggling against.

It wasn't anything too fancy, just a table with restraints, but it did the job. The boy lay flat with the cold metal stinging across his bare back and legs. His arms ran perpendicular to his body stuck on attachments connecting to the table creating a cross. He lifted his head higher to get a better view of what was happening and saw the leather straps keeping him down. There were two straps for each arm tying him down, buckled under the table where he couldn't reach. There were three straps on his legs over his ankles knees and thighs. Then a final two straps were holding down his torso, one over his hips and one over his shoulders leaving most of his chest exposed. All straps were biting into his skin as he struggled, his boxers doing nothing to cover his body. Spike was smirking by his feet, twirling a gold bade in his hands and chuckling at his pointless attempts.

"Slayer picked it out all special. Just for you." Xander glared over at him as he started to pace around his defenseless body. The boy couldn't remember much of how he got to the room. The last he remembered was being in the basement, strung up on chains. There had been a lot of screaming, he was just waking up and then nothing. It must have been a cheap shot while he was sleeping. And who undressed him?

"Well I feel special."

Spike mockingly raised a brow at the twerp's sarcasm. The squirming was entertaining but he wanted some genuine fight or this would be no fun. "You should. You're first."

"First for earplugs I hope. Having to listen to you yammer is torture enough."

"Oh I disagree. There's always another scream just round the corner. You just got to know how to get to it. But if that's how you really feel I'll just take the tip of this blade-" The gleam of the tip came into view right above Xander's eye, making him have to tilt his head back to avoid getting a cut on his brow. "And carve out your eardrums. It's called compromise." Spike chuckled but Xander didn't find it as funny. "Funny thing about this blade. Thanks to the witch almighty we know it heals any wound it makes. Slice the stomach, wait a few hours, and presto! No blood, no wound, intestines all inside just like it's supposed to be. The magic eraser for all your victims. Bloody gypsies. They really do have all the fun stuff."

Xander gulped without response. He was relieved that Willow was okay and sounded alive at least but unless she magically popped him out of this situation...that blade was very distracting.

Spike gazed hungrily at the fear in his prey's eyes. If only the damn spell Giles put on him wore off. He wanted nothing more than to smell the adrenaline and nerves settling in as the twerp realized his fate. Well, next best thing. He'd just have to watch as he spelled it out for him. "Imagine the potential of a blade like that. Then again, Red was all high on dark magic smoke. The git suggested I test it on myself but then slayer said why not Xander? So you should feel special whelp. You get to play and your precious Buffy volunteered you."

Xander's hands uselessly tried to reach back hoping beyond hope that he had a bit of warlock in him that would undo the straps without him needing to reach. But that wasn't the case and he knew it. So he did the only thing he could do lying on a table like that as the apparently magic knife made another pass in front of his eyes. "You know, you're much less intimidating as a human than a vamp. Hiding behind the shiny things Buffy lets you play with. What kind of a man are you? You wouldn't be able to take me in a real fight. Fist to fist. Human on human. Mono y mono. Good versus an astounding level of asshole."

"Are you done yet? Jesus, someone carve out my ears. I mean, you don't actually think that'll work do you?"

"I'm just saying, it sounds to me like now that you're human Buffy is making you her bitch."

"Is that the best you could come up with? Really? Bloody hell, what was the point of you? Always wondered that. Can't do magic, can't fight, can't make a plan, not smart enough for research, only get in the way. See, there's the difference. She kept me around because I'm useful. You? Well, she just felt obligated. But now. Now you have a point. She even picked it out for you. The perfect position for a whelp like you. Test dummy." Spike made his first cut quick bringing the tip of the bade across his chest leaving a long angry pink and bleeding line behind. Xander gasped at the unexpected sting but it was over with quick.

Spike chuckled as he rounded the table again and ignored Xander as the boy looked at the cut then back up at him with confusion and fear as he started to talk again. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciated our time living together? You may have been excruciatingly boring, no fun at all really. Smelly. Terrible parents. No booze -torture in itself. But it was worth it. You know why?"

"Because my dastardly charm grew on you and you're really going to let me go?"

Xander was answered with a deeper cut zagging the opposite way down his body and curving down into his side, one of the sides that were extra sensitive due to the beatings from the fights before. In fact he knew the exact moment when the blade cut through a giant bruise because his scream raised at least an octave.

"Because I got to know you."

"Oh how- how sweet of you."

"I know firsthand what a pathetic little creature you really are."

Xander was about to open his mouth and stupidly say something else but grunted out in pain instead as the blade was brought down for a third zag cutting his stomach open and slicing through his belly button until the leather strap got in the Spike's way. He struggled more against the straps hoping the adrenaline pain rush would give him enough super human strength to bust them open but there was no such luck. He was left panting hard at the pain the movement caused by pulling across the cuts on his chest, blood pooling quicker now.

"That Anya doesn't really deserve you." Spike tapped his bleeding stomach with the tip of his blade and walked back around the boy to keep him guessing where the next cut would come. "A demon like her, so powerful. I would have gone for her myself back in the day. Girl like that-" He whistled. "That makes centuries of men bow before her, falls for a pitiful boy like you."

Xander screamed in shock when the blade suddenly entered the bottom of his foot this time. Just the tip was pressing down on the sensitive inside at first but Spike slowly pushed, allowing more and more blade to enter as the boy bit down on his lips and tried to keep his screams inside, some of them escaping without much control.

"Someone wanted you. And she had no problem saying it. Quite nasty actually. Someone, for some reason that will probably never be known, wanted to have sex with you. Pitiful boy like yourself did everything you could to keep her round. You were embarrassed of her, annoyed, and still you couldn't give her up could you? You faked it every day until you actually started to believe you loved her. That someone like you could love someone like her. You know nothing about love." He finally ripped the blade from his foot just as the tip had started to press on the other side, just on the verge of breaking the skin.

"You actually believe you could marry her?" Xander's head shot upright as Spike started to pace again. "That's right. Found the ring in her pocket. Plus you know vampire hearing." He tapped his ear. "Could hear you whispering. Secret engagement. How very Romeo. She said yes, of course she did. She doesn't know how you really feel. That sometimes when you're away from her constant nagging you wish you could take it back. Take it all back. And you really think you're in love? That you could bleed for her?" He barely had a glimpse before the bade crossed over his eyes and pierced his skin again cutting a slow path across the first mark made and creating an 'x' over his heart. He couldn't hold in the grunt that turned into a tiny scream as the metal cut deeper than before. It didn't just sting. It was nerve after nerve being sliced open, slipping down all layers of skin and cutting into the muscle. Then it crossed the path of the first cut and pulled the already sensitive skin apart. He could feel the blood slipping over quicker than before pooling on the table and wetting his back. "Oh look at that. Cross your heart and hope to, well you know the rest."

Xander's panting quickly jumped up an audible notch as Spike gently trailed the side of the bloody blade down his left arm and bounced it over the burn he obtained from the fire. It wasn't anything he hadn't had before, Dawn pulled him out before it got bad, but the blade still made him hyper aware of every patch of sensitive skin. He turned his head to watch, trying to think past the fear and pain to try and say something, anything that would get him to stop besides begging. He wouldn't beg and Spike wouldn't listen anyway. What he was saying was just riling him up in an attempt to and it wouldn't work. It wouldn't.

"You probably hated that she carried that ring around. Like I said," Spike continued when he saw Xander wasn't going to say anything. Unusually out of character for him. Oh well. He would just have to try something else. "You don't deserve her. So let's do her a favor and save her the heartache huh?"

Xander struggled to keep his hand away from Spike, clamping it into a fist but Spike shoved the blade into his palm until his fingers jolted and he grabbed the digits away. Xander continued to struggle so Spike gripped tight onto his pinky and tugged far too far to the right, snapping the tiny bone and making him scream again.

"Oooh," Spike mock sympathized. "Well now that won't heal in a few hours will it? Keep your hand open or I'll break the rest of them." Xander could feel the tears prickling his eyes from the pain but he kept his hand open as Spike moved and blocked his view. He closed his eyes and gasped as the blade touched his broken finger and gave a small push away. He groaned into another scream as Spike used the blade to push his hand down into the table. Only the push didn't stop there.

The blade cut deeper and deeper into the knuckle on his ring finger and he screamed louder and louder as the hot flashes of pain shot up his arm and Spike continued to push until he hit bone, only pushing more. His fingers begged to close but Spike didn't notice and no more fingers were broken. There was a certain snap and clack and he knew it was done when he heard the metal of the blade hit the metal of the table. He couldn't see and he wasn't sure he wanted to see because he knew what he had just done. He knew that when he looked he wouldn't see a finger anymore. Yet that didn't take away from his screams when he peeked and saw the overflow of blood and the digit sitting right next to his hand resting under his broken pinky.

"What do you think whelp?" Spike picked up the finger and brought it back over to his face, ignoring the fact that he was still staring in shock at his hand. Spike rolled his eyes and with one thrust shoved the blade deep into the boy's shoulder shocking him out of his stare. "Pay attention when I talk to you! Only polite. Who knows it could grow back." He held the finger dripping with blood over his face, letting the drops land in the center of his eyes. "Should we give this one to Anya to remember you by? You think she'll like it?"

Xander panted and grunted and tried to form the words in his mouth that were spilling out like the sweat on his brow. Every move down his body brought a different pain, the pain in his hand winning his attention. Somehow, through gritted teeth, he managed to spit the words out somewhat menacingly. "Leave her alone."

Spike chuckled thinking this would be fun after all. Not that it wasn't already. "Oh we can do whatever we want with her. And you know why? Because you don't really care." Spike grabbed the blade in his shoulder and gently started to twist, adding more and more pressure as he spoke. "I've been doing this since before you were born and I can tell you everyone has someone they call out to in the end. For some it's their god. Some it's their mom. For some it's love. Red will scream for her stuttering witch. The same for her. Anya will scream for you and you?" He ripped the twisting blade out of his shoulder, leaving an ugly and giant wound behind. The screams were like candy to his ears and the sight was just as sweet, the tears spilling over on the boy's face.

As Spike continued to taunt he inched closer and closer to his face, watching and waiting for the right nerve to strike. "Who will you scream for? Not her. You don't believe in god. Your mom? No I met your mom. That leaves…Cordelia? No. You forgot about that bitch until you saw her in the basement. Could it be…no you couldn't be so stuck that it would be…Buffy?"

"Go to hell." He spat up and Spike smiled in victory.

"Oh I've been there. And you did everything to try and make me stay. It's only fair that I return the favor." The knife clicked as it was set down near Xander's face, Spike reaching under the table for another strap. "It must burn you to know she's evil now. Never gonna help you again. Lost forever. And you brought her back that way. Your best friend, the one you call out to in death, is gonna be the one killing you. Now that's poetry." Xander couldn't respond as the strap Spike reached for was adjusted around his mouth officially gagging him. "Right. Let's get to it then shall we?"

* * *

Cordelia had been awake when they took Xander away, unable to rest after. Anya wasn't great company and Tara was silent so she just sat there stewing in her own thoughts. Anya was still trying to chew her way out of her chains when Angelus came for her. After so many days of being locked up it was getting easier and easier not to see Angel anymore. It was almost a comfort for her now. He ignored Tara and Anya's demands to know if their loved ones were okay and went straight for her, the key to her chains dangling in his hand. That wasn't good. He never let her off before. Not fully. The only times before were for bathroom breaks and those weren't necessarily to a bathroom.

"I tell you what. If you're a good girl and don't run, I won't knock you out and drag you by your hair."

"How very generous of you." She growled at him as he laughed and unlocked her, letting her lead the way up the stairs. She gave a final look towards the other girls letting them mentally know she would try and find out everything she could before using her dangerously shaky legs to cross the threshold. She hadn't walked in so long the sensation felt wrong.

Angelus grabbed her arm and led her down a dark hall not saying a word. Then another dark hall came followed with another full of doors. This hall had more lights that looked too modern for the walls surrounding, like the fluorescents in the basement.

In that hall she was shoved into a room lit by a single light in the ceiling. The door was heavy as Angelus closed it behind them and she could see the many locks leave her view. This room was meant to be locked from the outside. And with a final click of the door she had a gut feeling that she wouldn't be leaving this room again.

The light wasn't the only thing in the room. A small sheet-free mattress rested in the corner of the small room, the only thing on it being a small plate of food and a bottle of water. In the other corner was a bucket. That was it.

"Eat up." Angelus gestured towards the bed.

"If this is some lame attempt towards Stockholm syndrome or whatever, it won't work."

He smiled that super creepy, evil smile and shrugged. "I just thought you'd want to be some place nice. You know, now that you have no hope of getting out of here whatsoever."

"Just because you captured the Sunnydale people doesn't mean you won."

"Oh gosh you're right. If only- oh wait. Yeah that's right. I'm just so bad with these modern day cell phones I forgot. I'm gonna make a call later to the gang back home. What would you like your final last words to be?"

"You're not-"

"Gonna call and say you died tragically at the hands of a demon? With absolutely no body left to bury? Yeah I am. Don't worry. I'm sure they'll miss you."

"They'll know something is wrong. Angel wouldn't just-"

"Pick up everything and leave you all behind to oh I don't know, join the monks at a monastery for a long period of time with absolutely no word at all? Oh. He did that already."

"You bastard."

"I am aren't I?"

"They'll figure it out."

"So much hope for a girl with no way of escape. Just face it Cordy. You're never getting out of here. In fact, you should be thanking me."

"Why the hell should I be thanking you?"

"For getting you this room! Look at it. A bed, food, a toilet! I did you a favor. Buffy said I could do whatever I wanted with you and this is what I chose."

"Taking orders from Buffy? Isn't that so five years ago for you?"

"You'd be surprised what I'm willing to do to win. You don't need to worry about my end game though. You need to worry about yours. Which is why you should be on your knees thanking me."

"I'll never thank you for what you've done."

"Don't speak so soon. If you don't want this, I'm sure I can find another place for you to be. So what's it gonna be?" She shook her head defiantly and he shrugged, stomped forward and grabbed her by the hair. Fighting back with all she had did nothing as his muscles were practically steal and hers had turned to jello. She was roughly dragged from the room and was forced to follow as he walked them up some stairs and up another set and then another until they were on the roof.

Under the clouds in the sky she could see the sun peeking around the horizon. She couldn't remember if it was sunset or sunrise as she was kicked to the floor and pinned to the ground. Unsure of where the restraints came from she was clamped into more chains that spread her body on the stone forcing her to face the sky. She took in a deep breath of fresh air and screamed but a hand came over her mouth and a gag was applied around her head and over her lips.

Angelus checked the cuffs and stood above her body. The hope was still in her eyes but he could tell it was draining. She was getting more and more scared. She would be like putty in his hands when he was done with her. At least she was proving to be the fun he expected.

"You think about it." He winked down at her splayed body and turned back towards the stairs to let her boil in the heat, drench in the rain, and starve. A smile curved across his face as he heard her sigh in frustration. Oh yes, she was still going to be fun.

* * *

Tara and Anya didn't have much to talk about with the worry and pain leftover from the fight being the only things they were experiencing. Every scrape and movement they heard had their head snapping up towards the ceiling and waiting. Tara tried a few charms she knew on the chains but without anything to help her magic she really couldn't do much. They both jumped when the lights flickered on and boots started clipping down the steps.

"Hello girls. How's it hanging?" Buffy smiled and gestured towards the chains they were hanging from, in case they didn't get the joke.

"Where's Xander? Is he okay? I want to see him!" Anya was always straight to the point when it came to her boy.

"Willow?" Tara asked more timidly.

"Willow is fine. Out like a light." Buffy smiled and Tara slumped in her chains. "Xander, well I don't know. He was still screaming when I passed so that's a good sign."

Anya was back to fighting the metal clinging to her wrists, trying her best to get a kick in. "What are you doing to him?! Let me go! Let me see him! You bitch!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch the anger there Anya. Remember who's in the chains here." Anya stopped thrashing about but she was still glaring daggers at her captor. "I actually just came for you Tara."

"M-me? Wh-what do you want w-with me?"

"Back to the stuttering already? I thought we talked about this." Buffy tisked and walked around Anya towards Tara's chains, key in hand. "I'll tell you what. One free pass but that's all you get."

Tara shook her head and stared at the floor. "I couldn't help Spike. I can't d-do dark magic."

"I'm not here for your magic Tara. I'm here for you."

Tara let her arms drop when the cuffs came off and Buffy half led, half dragged her up the stairs. She wasn't sure where she was going but knew they reached the destination when shoved into a room and the door was shut behind her. There were no chains, no windows, no lights, absolutely nothing in the room. It was just complete and utter darkness surrounding her. Leaving her completely alone. "He-hello?" No one answered.

* * *

Willow woke with a start inside a room she didn't recognize. Moments later a door slammed and she sat up completely, her body fighting her as soon as she did. Everything ached and it felt like her insides had been burned with the dryness she felt. Flashes of memories clouded her mind mixing with the powerful pull of a dark force within her. With panic she looked down at her stomach remembering the golden flash of a blade but found no wound left behind. Maybe she had imagined it. Maybe she had imagined everything. But then where was she and where was Tara?

She looked around the room and her panic doubled. Covering almost every inch of the space in what looked like black paint were multiple symbols and words in languages she didn't understand. Her eyes found the door covered in the same types of symbols and her heart sank. It clearly locked from the outside with only a small eye-hole in the center of the door. She went to look out of it to see if she could make anything out but was promptly shoved back as the door started to open and a single light in the center of the ceiling burning a bright yellow.

The room came in clearer and she could see the symbols better. Not an inch was left and even the ground was covered. She looked back to the bed she had been lying on which was really just an old looking mattress but what disturbed her most was the giant stain that puddled in the middle. It was a deep red, the color of blood. What looked like gauze stained with same color rested nearby and as she looked down she saw the same red staining her shirt. She lifted it again and still only saw unbroken, unwounded, smooth flesh. She had to sit back down before passing out.

That's when Buffy decided to enter, mumbling something to someone outside of the door that she just couldn't understand. Willow looked on in shock as Buffy stood in the middle of the room, her hands resting on her hips and her boots kicked out, glaring down at her under dark lashes.

"Hey Wills." She greeted her cheerily, for once not pretending. "You like the redecoration?" She gestured to the paint job crossing every inch of the room. "I did it myself. Well okay I had help. Still, my idea."

Willow found her voice scratchy and wounded as she asked. "What are they?"

"Glad you asked. Angelus called a witch he knows. Helped me with a spell. See these keep anyone in this room from doing magic of any kind. Light, dark, grey and anywhere in between. They can't be rubbed off either. As long as you're in here, you can't do magic. Neat huh?" Willow looked around in panic feeling more and more like a rat trapped in a box. "Oh I know what you're next question is. Where's Tara? She's fine and alive. No need to worry."

"The others?"

"Less fine but they're alive."

"I..." She didn't know what to say. She looked back around the room and fell more into her own body staring at her hands and shaking her head realizing what she had done. "I failed you."

Buffy chuckled mercilessly at the sight. "You failed me long ago Willow. It shouldn't be such a shock now."

But the sad little girl was shocked and she kept shaking her head, tears running down her face. "I failed you. I failed Giles. I failed everyone. I just wanted to do what was right. I just wanted you back. I didn't want to be sad anymore. I wanted to fix things. It's all my fault."

"Yeah it is. You just couldn't let me die could you? You were just so pathetic you couldn't live on without me. How sad and selfish is that? You were so stupid too. Just going behind everyone's back, using magic that you knew they wouldn't approve of. Did it make you feel like a bad ass for once rather than that meek little nerd dropping her books on the ground like when I first met you? If only I had chosen differently. I may never have been subjected to you and to Xander. But no, I helped the poor weak girl I felt sorry for. Because I did feel sorry for you Willow. Right up until the day I died.

"You just couldn't do _anything_ without someone holding your hand and telling you it was alright. You always needed all eyes on you, giving you approval at every turn, never breaking the rules. So you broke free by bringing me back. Well way to go Willow. You did it. It was all because of you. Let's face it. It was really you that got me dead in the first place. If you had actually paid attention you could have been more focused on the actual fight, using real magic, rather than hiding off and worrying about your girlfriend. But no. You can't be alone. So you let me die. But hey I got to go to heaven. That's a good deal. But no! Not good enough for you.

"Wanted to do what was right? No, you felt guilty for letting me die. You manipulated everyone around you and yourself, hid the idea from Giles and Spike and Dawn because you knew it was wrong. And you ripped me down. Did you hear that? I said rip because that is what it felt like. I was at peace. Do you understand? Nothing was ever going to hurt me again. And then YOU came along! YOU tore me out of heaven and YOU glued me to hell. Did I not pay the world enough? Did I not do enough for it? For you?! I gave it everything! I gave you everything! I gave up my life just to be brought down back to the hellmouth?! What did I do wrong?!

"Why? Why do I have to suffer? Because that's what it is. Everything was pain. Every step I took, every noise I heard, every smell I came across. You may think that because you gave me more power and took out my soul that it makes up for it? No. It's just a different kind of hell than the one I was living before. And now I get to live it forever! I felt true peace in heaven and I can never get there again thanks to you. Forever living in hell. Sure I live in hell as a demon but even demons want out. I can never get out again.

"So I'm continuously suffering and how do you say you're sorry for damning me? By trying to burn me alive! Don't you see it Willow? I'm not the monster here. YOU ARE! I may have no soul but you are the cold heartless bitch pushing away everything and everyone she ever loved just to get her own selfish way. Because I have an excuse. You did this to me. I feel nothing. While you, you are the human. You have a soul and yet you are willing to push and kill and murder. Which do you think is worse? You are the monster that created a monster and you are going to accept that. There is no redemption for you Willow and the quicker you accept that the better. You belong in hell with the rest of us."

Willow's mouth moved to try and say something through her sobbing but the only sound in the room was the door slamming behind Buffy and the lights flicking back into darkness.


	22. Big Evil Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Torture/NONcon because it's a bit not good. Feel free to leave me a message if you want to skip it and I'll help you out :)
> 
> We won't be sticking around torture long (the plot will be calling us back soon). (plot? *gasp*)

* * *

Buffy walked out of Willow's cell with the rage from her outburst still pouring through every bit of her being. Spike even took a step back just by the look on her face. That turned into a couple of steps when she turned to the wall and smashed in her fist sending chunks of rock flying and her knuckles bleeding. He wasn't about to point out how stupid that was as he had been known to do the same thing.

"Alright there slayer?" She turned to glare at him with her chest heaving with air she didn't need, all left over from the screaming she had just done. "You know you could have a go at her. Use her as the punching bag instead of the wall." Alright he'd point it out a little.

"No." She growled, literally growled.

"No?"

Buffy turned back to the door with her hand resting on the outside, her fingers biting into the steel with the temptation. "I would kill her. I would tear her open with the tips of my nails and drink her from the inside out as she screamed and begged for me to stop until there was nothing left of her but a hollow husk."

"Love it when you talk dirty."

Her glare turned into a smirk at that comment and she shook her head trying to drive the unending blood lust out of her mind. She really needed to eat someone soon. "Thanks for helping with Dawn by the way."

"Just said first thing I thought. Didn't really sound right coming from me. Me? Scared? Please."

"I think she bought it." She turned from her eye roll to lean against the door and face him. "I don't know what I'll do if she says no."

Spike didn't know what she as capable of doing either. She said she wouldn't kill her but... "She'll come round. You'll see. Being human ain't all it's cracked up to be." He chuckled and fished for a cigarette, his human lungs now getting used to the damaging smoke.

"You ever think about letting me change you again?" Buffy smiled coyly when Spike faltered with the lighter and she let the blood drip from her knuckles as she left a trail from the door to Spike, pressing back further against the opposite wall. "Just a little prick." She chomped her teeth together biting the air playfully with her human set. "For the giant one."

"You think you're clever don't you?" Just like that she had her hands on his shoulder pushing him up against the wall as her fangs slowly slid out of her mouth, the smell of his human blood getting stronger as his heart kicked it up a notch. "Hey hands off the merchandise." Her golden eyes seemed to shine the same color as the studs in her nose as they dropped to the pulse on his neck. Suddenly it didn't seem like she was joking around anymore. "Hey- hey um- slayer-" She was leaning in just a bit too close for comfort and as much as he tried to lean away, her hands were keeping him still and his head just started to bend at odd angles to try and hide his neck. "I thought we talked about this!"

"You talked, I listened. And now I'm telling you to shut up." Just a few inches away. His blood was fresh and juicy -she just knew it would be. Her tongue darted out against her bottom lip and the tip slid up just barely brushing against his skin giving her a taste making her eyes roll back into her scull. Even his struggling was just making him seem more appetizing. And her throat was burning so bad...just one taste...

"Buff- ow!" He pushed her away with all he had, just enough to make her have to step back so he could scoot down the hall with a hand over his neck. "You bit me!"

"I barely scratched you." She rolled her eyes and stalked forward as he slid away quicker and quicker while walking backwards. "Besides, all of Giles' blood is gone by now. I have plenty of room for more of the dark magic kind."

He shook his head still backing away as he rounded the corner towards the stairs. "You don't know what'll happen. You could kill me dead. Dead dead. No more tap shoes, the hook ripped me off the stage. Dead! I could come back with a soul or all wrong. I knew this demon once, resurrection spell brought him back with two heads. One all on the shoulders where its supposed to be and you don't want to know where the other one was."

"Do you always talk this much when you're nervous?"

"Nervous?" He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as his feet tripped finding the stairs, allowing her to come closer than he would have liked with those golden eyes gazing at him so hungry. "When was the last time you ate slayer? You drink me it'll only be my blood swimming in there. Change me and I'll be drinking myself!"

Buffy chuckled lightly using both hands to push of the wall and railing so she flew through the air and landed a step below him, looking up with a pout she knew he couldn't ignore. "I get to watch right?"

Sure enough that lip jutting out between her fangs had him momentarily distracted but when her tongue darted out again he was back to backing away. "I ain't doing it slayer. Dark magic worked for you, not for me."

"So what? You're just gonna wait it out? The spell was meant for _forever_ Spike. It could be years before you change back."

"I'll just…" Damn she had a point. Still this didn't feel right at all. "Well I ain't letting you kill me."

"I won't kill you." She shrugged. "Much."

"Nope." Spike started walking faster now that the stairs were cleared but Buffy chucked and followed, only a few steps behind. "Not gonna happen. No. I'm saying no. No means no!" He ran into his room and slammed the door back on her face locking it against her -not that she wouldn't be able to knock it down. "Go eat someone else! You're starting to freak me out." She really laughed at that but left him alone for the rest of the night as she when to eat something to-go off the street. Then again, Anya was just sitting in the basement...

* * *

The first session he had with Xander ended just as Spike had expected: predictably satisfying.

"Please. Please, Spike. Please stop. Stop please." Right after having removed his gag the whelp was instantly crying his name with his body wonderfully decorated in shades of red and pink, not a visible inch the original flesh color. Spike even sliced off a few bits under the straps so every struggle would bring a new pain for him. The blade was more blood than gold at this point making the dragon look like it was spurting dark flames from its mouth licking Xander's skin and causing the damage itself.

It was when he had decided to start skinning him that he really started begging. He decided to take chunks from his stomach so he could feel the nerve endings stretching every moment he took a necessary breath, quick at the panting pace he kept up.

The first cut went smooth under the skin, peeling the flesh from the muscle, accidentally taking a bit of it with him as he sliced through the cuts he had made earlier. The scream was blood curdling as he finished and brought the slab of flesh to rest near the boy's face with his missing finger. The scream continued on through his begging. "Spike! Please! I'm sor- I'll do- Aghhhh! I'll do anything! Please stop! Please! Spi- plea- please-"

When Spike brought the knife back to create a symmetrical look he could see the boy's face start to fall as he started to black out. He tried to grab his consciousness back by dragging the knife down through a former cut made leading from his collar bone to his navel but that only made him scream once more. He lost consciousness as soon as the knife left his body.

Spike cleaned up and went to sleep quite content.

When he woke the next night he found Xander wide awake looking up at the ceiling. The cuts had healed, his skin had grown back, but his finger was gone. The wound had healed over and a stub was left in its place but his finger and skin from the night before still rested near his head. Well that was a good test run.

He waited until the boy was sleeping to bring him food and water, undoing his restraints so he could have access. He needed him to eat and drink or the blood wouldn't replenish. Too much blood loss and the kid would die way too fast. That just wouldn't do. A day's rest and they could play with more toys.

Xander woke up feeling very confused. He was free and untied and could officially look at the damage done to his body. Only there wasn't any damage to inspect. He wasn't even sore. Only one missing finger and one broken pinky. No cuts, no scars, even his arm no longer showed signs of a burn. He followed the trail of blood stains up the table and found the amputated finger near where his had been head along with another slab of bloody flesh and it was absolutely terrifying. It was just proof that all that pain in his memory was real, not some kind of horrible nightmare.

He found food and water by the door but he didn't really want to eat or drink anything the vampires gave him. He couldn't trust it. He knew that. He saw it in a movie. Still, he held out as long as he possibly could before opening up the water and sniffing. It seemed fine so he continued to drink it and eventually his stomach won out and he took bites of what looked to be a frozen dinner. It suspiciously looked like turkey and gravy but he couldn't be sure.

Already he could feel himself start to go insane with being cooped up and alone, continuously nervous that Spike or a different vampire would come back for him. He ended up shaking and sitting in the corner trying to use the table as a barrier for most of the time. He tried to entertain himself with the thought of escape, looking at the table for anything to use as a weapon or to pick locks. If only he knew how to do things. If only his military training had stuck around. Pretty much he just ended up panicking and talking to himself.

The thoughts of not being able to do anything, having nothing to contribute, were what made him remember all Spike had taunted him with. About how he didn't love Anya and how he had no point and that Buffy never really wanted him. He had to wonder if he was telling Anya that. What were they doing to her? As he looked at the place his wedding finger would have been he couldn't stop the tears from falling down thinking about it. What had they gotten into? Could they really get out of this one? Without Buffy?

Sleep took him away but he woke up too soon being tied to the table contraption again. He tried to punch out against his attacker and connected with someone in the dark but another pair of hands had him unmoving. When the lights flickered on he could see both Spike and Angelus in front of him now, smiling and waving down at him.

"Where's Buffy?" Maybe it was just instinct to ask that question.

"See, I told you." Spike jeered down at him, slapping him on the cheek roughly. "Buffy's not coming."

"Boy's night out!" Angelus cheered coming to the other side of the table.

"Too bad about your finger." Spike tapped the edge of the knife against the stump on his hand making him gasp when his pinky moved involuntarily. "But that's why you're test dummy. Isn't that right test dummy?"

"Shouldn't you be eating him or something?" Xander gestured towards Spike with his head while addressing Angelus.

"Normally I'd lay his spine out as a centerpiece sure. But you're our guest! I couldn't be rude to our guest by killing one of his hosts now could I?"

"Oh I wouldn't mind."

"Look at you trying to be all brave." Angelus threw his voice to its mocking tone as he imitated Xander. "If I huff and I puff the big bad vamps will go away!"

"Think you got that backwards mate." Spike nodded towards him. "Big bad wolf was the one huffing."

"Maybe I will eat you." Angelus glared and shifted his eyes down Spike's neck letting his eyes gleam gold.

The two glared at each other for another moment trying to kill each other with their eyes, if it was possible. Xander made the mistake of shifting his arm because Angelus pointed down at him and said, "After I play with the gypsy knife."

"Don't worry. We'll save the best for last." The blade was clunked down on the table next to his ear, gold gleaming in his peripheral, and he watched in fear as Spike moved to a corner of the room he couldn't see very well.

"Cus we're gonna have some fun with you first." Angelus tapped the center of his forehead making his head bang back against the table so he really couldn't see what Spike was doing. "Cus if there's one thing we can agree on it's that -me and Spike here- we don't like you."

"I know. It's mutual." Xander glared up at him while trying to push against the finger on his head to see what Spike was rummaging through. All he could hear was a lot of metal hitting metal. Angelus' finger was still stronger than his head though so it was just sounds.

"Peaches. Come pick out what you want." Angelus left and Spike turned back to take his place and block his view with a few things in his hands. "Alright whelp. You get to choose today. You can have the rail spike-" He held up the long metal spike in question gleaming threateningly in the single light overhead. "A favorite of mine, as you know. Or you can have whatever the fuck this is." He held up something that looked remotely like a gardening tool. Three long curved metal thongs came off a handle, all sharpened at their tips. "Pick your poison."

"Um-" Xander could feel the panic return in full as the flashes of pain from the last encounter returned. Why did he always think there would be a way out? There wasn't going to be a way out today. _Buffy is evil. Buffy is evil. She will not rescue you. Buffy is evil._ The mantra really wasn't working because that just made it sink in more how screwed he was.

A part of him knew he should chose because Spike would chose for him but he was distracted by the rummaging Angelus was doing in the corner muttering something about a chainsaw and now a cracking noise rebounding off the small walls.

"Whoa! You have a whip?!" Angelus gave it another crack and it snapped angrily onto the floor.

Spike turned back with a frown. "Careful! That's a replica."

"Oh sure Zorro. Wouldn't want you lost against Captain Ramon."

"Just watch where you point that thing. Don't want you poking my eye out."

"Yeah we wouldn't want to scar up that pretty human face. More than it already is."

"Haha." Spike raised his one scarred brow before turning back to the trembling human. "Choose. I want to get started before he gets too excited."

"Um-" Xander was absolutely terrified but he had enough common sense to know Spike was named so for a reason. But just as he was about to nod towards the gardening thing Spike shook his head and tossed it into the back corner with a smile.

"Alright." Spike instantly slammed the spike upside down into the middle of his chest so it left a big ugly circular bruise behind, making him cough and wheeze as the wind was knocked clean out of him.

Angelus just about waited till Spike moved and crashed the whip down over the mark with a laugh that joined the sound of it whooshing through the air. He laughed harder when Xander tried to curl up against his bindings from the pain. He did it again trying to aim for the same spot but missed so he had to do it again, and again, and again, and again. Xander was crying out with each lash near screaming by when the continual bashing had opened up his chest again, leaving giant welts that started to bleed into each other.

Spike moved down to his legs to keep out of the whip's path and dragged the tip of the stake into the soft of his inner thigh, pulling down so the skin peeled off in tiny strands like a cheese grater. It wasn't much compared to the whip but he just wanted to start playing with something. It had been far too long since he last played with a spike.

The dual fast pain from the whip and the slow one from the scrapes ran across his body in shock waves that had him pulling on the leather straps again causing the skin underneath to rub raw quickly. His broken finger kept pushing up against his hand only causing more pain and the curses started rolling out of his grunts and groans only pleasing his captors.

Angelus paused as Spike continued with his fun and walked over to the boy's left to inspect the hand with the missing finger. "That is pretty nifty." He pointed at it and knocked the broken pinky aside bringing another yell from the boy's lips.

"You shoulda seen the rest of him." Spike joked, yelling over the boys begging as he brought the spike to the top of his foot. "Almost carved my initials. Didn't see the point if it would just even out though."

"Please-" Xander continued shouting out for mercy as Spike put the tip in the skin between his big and smaller toe, the point wiggling around to find the place between the bones. Spike pulled back a hand, ignoring him, and slammed down hard into the top shoving the metal in between his bones and forcibly spreading them apart. His screams were literally continuous as he ripped the spike up and out of the hole that was now spurting blood onto the table.

"Give me the spike for a second." Angelus held out his hands.

"No way!" Spike held it back away from him ready to play keep away. "I just started!"

"Just for a second." He argued back like a child as if what they were fighting over really was just a toy in the sandbox. "I wanna return the favor for the boy shoving that stake into my thigh."

"Alright. But we're trading back." Spike held the spike back until Angelus rolled his eyes in agreement and switched with him. "And don't hit his artery. I'm running out of clean clothes here."

"Please!" Xander continued to scream, unsure of what else to say.

"Stop your whining!" Spike quickly flicked the whip back down and caught the side of the boy's face leaving an angry mark from his nose to his forehead. "Always whining."

The torture continued with Spike and Angelus taking turns with their toys and making sure every inch of Xander was screaming in pain. Again. By the end of that he had more than enough blood loss from the spike being nailed into his flesh, enough skin ripped off to the point where he was concerned that he was still alive, and actual cuts to muscles under that skin from the whip being thrashed down so many times. They had even decided on a game of tic-tac-toe across his stomach, drawing on the lines with the tip of the spike and using the whip to make the 'x's and 'o's. Angelus won so he got to use the golden dragon knife first.

They brought the blade through every cut they had just made, telling him they were going to see if the blade would fix wounds made by other weapons. Xander had long since stopped begging as he realized it had no effect. He had blacked out a good number of times instead, always being brought back from the brink with new pain.

Then Spike took the blade and started to run it down his left arm curving it around the base of his broken finger. All that pain was just pounding in his head and he couldn't even focus on it as the blade was expertly twirled up and around in a circular motion jutting around the odd angles his finger made.

They finished off by using the blade to carve an 'S' on one cheek and an 'A' on the other. When both vamps, present and past, were satisfied they left him like that to pass out completely for what he hoped would be weeks or months on end. His final wish was that one of the others had a plan because he knew he wouldn't be able to take this for very long. He had already broken down into begging. There wasn't much of anywhere else he could go from there.

* * *

At first Cordy thought it wouldn't be so bad on the roof. At least she had something to look at. But after a few days she got pretty sick of finding bunnies and crosses in the clouds and stars. She couldn't help but wonder if her friends back home actually fell for it, if they thought she was dead, if they believed Angel would just leave them all again. Maybe they would come to Sunnydale to her grave or something even though Angelus told them there was no body. Maybe then they would see it was all so wrong. Maybe Tara would have a sudden stroke of magic that got them all out of there. Maybe she would stop making up maybes that she didn't really believe in.

Angelus came to bring her water more than once but he didn't say anything when he did. No teasing, no taunting, just silence. He wouldn't respond to anything she said either. She did try screaming for a bit through that gag but it really was pointless. No one could hear her on the roof.

Her skin hurt with every move. She was burned straight through with all that direct light. The metal chains were the hottest and she was sure they baked her wrists a bit. All that sweat was just water lost and she swore she started to hallucinate at one point. Angel was there on the roof with her telling her it would all work out, that she was strong, that she could get through this, that the Powers That Be wouldn't let her die. For all she knew it was just Angelus pretending, using her delusional state against her.

That's why it was so confusing when she woke from a kick in the chest and saw Buffy above her body, waving down at her with her gag in her hands.

"Buffy?" She croaked out the question, looking around to find a way to tell if this was real or not. That kick felt pretty real.

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?"

Buffy wasn't sure how that question was intended but it really just sounded quite pathetic and defeated. She threw the girl's gag back down near her face and circled her body letting her know the answer anyway. "Angelus told me you weren't very appreciative I let him have you all to himself. So I thought I'd come up here and thank you. I didn't realize you missed me so much. I'm flattered."

"Don't be. I didn't-" Cordy's statement was cut short to a gasp when Buffy connected the tip of her boot harshly with the ribs on her side again.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

Cordy tried to speak again but Buffy brought her foot back down harshly into the same spot for a third time. She didn't want to kick too hard though. She didn't want to leave Angelus with a girl with a broken rib. He didn't want her hurt that bad quite yet.

"You know what we never did in high school?" Buffy asked walking around her body again, making sure to pull on each chain with her foot as she passed it, pulling the girl's straining joints and sensitive skin. "A girl's day. Just you and me. Like shopping and nails and tanning. Oops seems you've already been doing that. Might have stayed out a bit too long." Buffy slapped the place on her cheek where the skin was peeling from her sunburn sending a small sting down the side. "You know Cordy, we could have been friends. But you just had to be the big bitch on campus. I heard you've changed though, vision girl. Powers That Be swimming around in your head huh?" Buffy kicked back again, this time connecting her foot with Cordy's head like a soccer ball just enough so she could feel the pain without breaking her neck. "And how's that power boost working for you? Get any good visions lately?"

"You." Cordy spat through clamped teeth. "Crying out as a stake drives through your heart."

"Oh Cordy," Buffy walked around and stomped both feet onto her outstretched arms, plowing the heels of her boots into her shoulders as she balanced. Cordy cried out from the added pressure to the joints already stretched too far. "Girlfriends don't lie to each other." She jumped up and down a bit on Cordy's arms bringing more gasps of shock and pain out. The girl tried to bump her off by curving her body but all it did was pull on her chains more.

"Now whose the bi-bitch?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Actually she saw a lot with Buffy's miniskirt and she was really trying to bend her neck so she wouldn't. The vampire winked and jumped off her body picking up the gag from the floor and wrapping it back around the screaming girl's mouth letting her taste the dirt from the ground breath it in and gag. Huh. Gag on the gag. It was doing its job. "You've caused me quite a lot of trouble in the past. And that darn pesky soul of mine was getting in the way, not letting me do much about it. Sure I thought about it, had the daydreams about dunking you in holy water just to make sure you weren't a demon. Maybe a fantasy or two about trying to beat it out of you. But it would never let me do anything real. Now I get to show you what you were missing."

The punches and the kicks didn't stop. She wasn't satisfied until she had scratched, bruised, or bled every inch of the girl's body. Cordy had looked worse for wear before but when Buffy stood over the unconscious human she looked down right dead.

It felt good to breathe in that much pain, ignoring how awful she smelled otherwise. It was like therapy. Probably the best part of it all was that she got to come back the next day and do it all over again and watch as the bitching slowly decreased from the human as she was put through more and more torment.

A thunderstorm crashed later on and that's when Cordy was really screaming. She had felt cold from the rain already but nothing like the chill of watching the lighting crash and have one strike a tree very close to the mansion. She never liked thunderstorms anyway.

After the storm Angelus visited her to give her water and that's when she broke. Buffy had left that day with the promise of bringing up a magic knife that would heal all wounds in a matter of hours but give her all the pain. She knew that she would give up soon if she had to go through something like that night after night. The Powers That Be weren't giving her any help, no matter how much she screamed at the sky, and it didn't sound like anyone had gotten out. Her hope was dwindling and she knew she needed to survive in order to find it again. That's why she said it.

"Angelus, I don't want- don't want to- to-"

"What happened kitten? Is little Buffy getting to you?"

"I don't want to be- to be-"

"Your stuttering is getting worse than the witch's."

"I don't want to be here. Anymore. Please." It killed her to beg, say please, and he knew it so he wanted to hear it again.

"What do you want?"

"I want off. Off the roof."

"Well I suppose we can put you back in the basement. String you up like a punching bag. That is if you can handle any more. Internal bleeding is quite the bitch I hear. Smells good though."

"No. Not- no."

"Well what do you want?!"

"Room. I want the room."

"Are you going to be more grateful?" Cordy nodded her head as the urge to cry rose higher and higher. A happy smile morphed onto Angelus as he slapped her aching shoulder and brought the key out from his pocket.

She was half leaning on him as he dragged her down the stairs. She just didn't have it in her to fight with her fading muscles. The room was just as she had last left it only this time that small mattress in the corner didn't look so ratty. It looked like one of those many clouds she had seen in that sky.

Angelus shut the door behind them both again and she simply fell onto the mattress, trying to keep standing wasn't working. Her body hurt too much.

"I don't suppose you'd give a girl a shower?" She remembered what a shower felt like. Oh god it had been so long.

"If you're good." Angelus chucked something at her but she didn't catch it. Looking over she saw it was a change of clothes.

A small part of her was looking at them longingly. Her own clothes were crusted over and frankly disgusting. The soft new ones looked perfect except for the fact that they looked like they would barely cover much of anything. Just a tiny pair of spandex black shorts and a very colorful leopard print low cut tank.

"Where'd you get those? Buffy's closet?" She bit her tongue knowing she shouldn't be saying things like that right after getting off that dreadful roof. She just couldn't stop herself.

"No. Lunch. There might be a bit of blood on the collar. It'll wash right out I'm sure."

"You're giving me a dead girl's clothes?"

"Oh jeeze. I didn't realize. I'm just so - Oh that's right. I'm evil!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick." That's when her head rolled and she saw the bottle of water a few feet away. She looked back quick before diving for it and gulping it down in a hurry, screwing the part of her that knew she should be saving it. Angelus didn't give her nearly enough on that roof.

He watched her finish off the bottle, her tongue and lips working hard to fight for every last drop. "So, isn't it about time you thank me?"

She didn't look at him, just tipped that bottle as far as it would go hoping for that very last drop. "Thank you."

"Now we both didn't believe that. I think it was on your hands and knees right?" He scratched his head in mock concentration. "Thanking me on your hands and knees. Yeah that's it!"

"I'm not doing that."

"Really? So you're not thankful then? Not for the water, the food, the room, taking you away from Buffy."

"You put Buffy on me!"

"And I can bring her right back!" Angelus snapped straight to the terrifying amount of rage and evil that had her shaking and then right back into his intolerable joking and flirtatious self. Still evil. "She's been dying – well not literally- but she wants to use Spike's new knife. I don't blame her. That thing is fun. But I can stop her. If you want me to. Is that what you want?"

She had to grind her teeth in order to spit it out but the thought of the beatings and the dehydration and the weakness in her body combined with a knife like that…she would die. "Yes."

"I didn't quite hear that over all that self loathing you got going on. Say it again. You just want me."

"I want just you Angelus."

"Hands and knees." He pointed to the ground before him. "Make me believe it."

Her body still shook as she approached the monster before her but she refused to crawl. She made herself stand and walk with her head held up before reaching that smug victory grin and half fell, half dropped to her knees. She glared up at him with all the hatred she had stored up and her lips twitched as she spat out, "I want you Angelus."

He smirked down at the girl refusing to look away from him. She had more spirit than he gave her credit for. It sent a rush through him to know that and to hear those words coming from her mouth while on her knees like that. "I didn't believe that either." His hand curved around his waist and dipped for the button of his jeans. "I've got something you can do to make me. You won't even have to talk."

Cordy couldn't look at his face when she saw the flash of his hand near her. First came the button, then the zip, and then it all set in. She scrambled away but his other hand had her by the root of her hair. She pulled all she could but she didn't have the strength to break away. She was simply too weak. She couldn't do a thing.

Angelus chuckled at the attempts to run the little human made. There was nowhere to go. He was blocking the door and there were no other means of escape. What did she think she was doing?

He dove his hand into his pants and pushed down the boxers and jeans so he could pull out his thick hard cock. Really he had her to thank for the idea. Ideas for things like this were already floating around but she just seemed so greedy with that water and she was already on her knees. It all just lined up perfectly.

She was begging already, saying things like 'please' and 'no', even throwing in an 'Angel', not really making any proper sentences. He ignored her and pulled her closer, rubbing against her mouth. She automatically clamped it shut as the tears stated to stream down her face but he pulled too harshly on her hair and forced it open. He grabbed her jaw with his other hand while her free ones tried to peel him off. It felt like a tiny fly patting away at a mountain lion.

Painfully she had to keep her teeth separated and her mouth open as he pushed inside, thrusting in a few times and grunting as he did so. The pleasure didn't come from the act because she really wasn't into it but it came from the sounds of her crying, her begging, her attempts to get away. The room was filling with the smell of absolute panic. That took him back to his early demon days. Those were the best.

She kept on gagging as he pushed in slow, turning her head in his hands so she could feel every inch of him inside. That's when she clamped down around the fingers keeping her jaw open and bit down with everything she had. He reeled away at the sudden pain of her teeth clamping down hard onto the length of his shaft and pushed her away from him. She fell forward coughing and gagging on the floor.

"You ungrateful bitch." He quickly leaned down and grabbed her by the shoulders, picking her up and slamming her into the side of the wall. "You want to play with teeth?" He shifted quick into his vampire form. "I can do that." She tried to push away, still in shock from the act before, but he held her up and roughly pulled her shirt to the side, ripping it down so he exposed her shoulder. Sharp teeth pierced her skin fast as he bit down and pulled the blood up to the surface.

Slowly he sucked the sweet blood from the new wound and moved a hand over her throat to keep her still as she gasped and pushed harder. All he did was grind back into her, rolling his hips into her side. He didn't take a lot of blood, just enough for her to feel the extent of the pain but it was enough to have her clawing at his face. The scratches she left behind only pushed him more as he started pounding into her, bruising her already bruised back against the rough stone wall pulling at the layers of her skin until he could smell more blood painting it. He thrust up and up until finally he could feel the wave of pleasure roll over him, pulling just a bit more blood from her to elevate that feeling, and with a final scratch from her that actually broke his skin he came.

He dropped her straight onto the floor after the result of his orgasm had covered her chest. She didn't move, just rolled onto her side as the tears fell and he tucked himself back into his pants. "Next time, mean it." He left to the sound of her gasping for air as he clicked all the deadbolts into their locked position, trapping her inside.

When she was sure he was gone she spat on the ground and growled. "You just wait Angelus."

The scales were going to even.

And soon.

* * *

In Buffy's room she was drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette on her bed with Spike in a chair eating his burger and drinking a beer himself. They had the TV on a re-run of _Friends_ because even though she didn't have a soul it didn't mean she couldn't still laugh. Plus nothing else was on but sports and neither of them cared much for that (no matter how much Spike pretended to know about it).

Angelus was sleeping in his own room already, the sun having risen a couple of hours ago, so it was just the two of them tucked away in the corner of the mansion away from the quiet screams and cries coming from the humans.

"You feed Anya today?" Buffy asked during a commercial break, being sure to steal some of his fries when he wasn't looking.

"Yeah." He growled and glared at his toes making Buffy chuckle from across the room.

"What's that look for?"

"Bloody woman. She kicked me."

"Aw poor Spike."

"She bruised my shin!" He raised the leg he was pointing to as if she would be able to see the mark through the jeans on his body.

"Then tie her legs down next time."

"Already did. She's a right beast she is."

"Well you are the one torturing her fiancé." She popped another fry into her mouth, losing half of it as it fell down her new shirt. It was a skintight black one with cuts made into it to expose her breasts and the tops of her shoulders. It looked rather nice with her red leather pants. Spike's eyebrows sure shot up when he saw it.

"You should come down." She missed his eye roll when she when digging for the fry. "He's been asking for you."

"Has he?" She found it and popped it into her mouth while wiggling her toes so she could see the nail polish shimmer in the light of the TV. "Well I might have to when I get a second away from Dawn."

Things had been hectic the past few days. She had been busy getting everything they needed, spending her only free time with Dawn or taking long term frustrations out on Cordy. She didn't really see Angelus or Spike much at all and when she did it was because she called both of them together to ask them what they needed or to talk about her plans. They each had her own room now that she had redecorated and in between their fun with the guests, eating, planning, and sleeping they didn't have much interaction. This would be the first Spike had heard of her all week.

It was completely frustrating because a large part of Buffy wanted to put her efforts into teasing Spike. Since coming to the realization she actually had some interest in him she wanted the thrill of their table-turned positions where she was the vamp chasing the human. It was extra difficult to connect because he was the human and he had a lot more to take care of now, getting tired more often, and needing to actually get food for himself.

Of course she settled for a little flirtation here and there, brushing up against him or bending down inappropriately, all accompanied by Angelus' comments. Spike was awkward at first, acting like she was joking. But the more she did it the more he liked it. He was more than receptive, not trying to hide his longing stare, suggesting more and more of what she could be doing and being shocked by her suggestions that she would be more than willing to do it. Plus it was a bonus in the fact that she could sense and smell is arousal a mile away. It just wasn't enough.

"How's the nibblet doing? See the light -or well dark- yet?"

"Stubborn that's how she is."

"Summers curse. I can talk to her again if you want."

"Sure. Trying to explain how being evil is fun is impossible with her.

"Maybe you should show her?"

"How? Let her have a go at Xander? She won't do it."

"Just do what normal teens want to do. Give her a drink, a ciggy, throw her out into a dance party, let her loose."

"That's it?"

"Isn't that what you wanted? To be bad for once? No watcher over your shoulder, no mom telling you off, leaving all your judgy friends behind."

She pouted, picking at the edge of her pants. "I was bad."

"Oh please. You were tame. Baddest I saw you, you weren't even yourself. That other slayer was in your body." Mentioning Faith had her glaring down at him, one flick away from the cigarette ending up on his face. "Oh don't look at me like that. You're bad now."

"How bad?" She decided to put the cigarette out on the side table instead, rising to her knees and challenging Spike with her arms crossed.

"Real bad. Big bad. Big evil bad." He could actually feel the stupid coming out of those 'sentences'. That shirt was really distracting and her arms were pushing up her breasts and one tiny rip down the middle and it would just be gone. "A regular wild west cowgirl." Oh god what was that? What was that?!

Buffy chuckled at the completely random analogy and threw out her legs a bit letting him imagine what she could be riding. Horse or otherwise. "Am I?"

"Maybe you should prove it to me."

"Come over here human boy. And I will."

She could hear his swallow from there as he slowly placed his food and drink down, looking at her like she would take it back any second, that she was only joking. She just smirked and wiggled a finger at him making him actually stand up and start to walk over.

"Well slayer that's quite the- the" He shook his head the blood rushing too fast and making him dizzy for a moment. "Um. Promise. You better be…be…" His eyes started to gloss over and with another step he fell completely on the floor, his face planting down without stopping. She furrowed her brows in his direction until she smelled a bit of blood escape his nose.

She ran over to the side of her bed and looked down at him. "Spike?" He didn't respond. "Can you hear me?" She jumped off the bed and flipped him over, moving his head into her lap. "Spike are you alright?" Still he didn't answer but he was breathing and his heart was still beating. "You better not be joking or I really will kill you." He continued to not move, completely passed out. She slapped him hard but it did nothing but make his head move to the side. "Dammit Spike!" She backed away and gently led his head to the ground before running from the room to grab a grumpy Angelus.

"What? Your new shirt too much for him?"

"Haha. I was there, he was there, he got up and went all face planty." She clapped her hand together as if that would show him exactly what she meant.

"Maybe he's just turning back." Angelus kicked the arm of the passed out human and still he did not move. "You know, into something actually useful. Not that he was useful to begin with. Why haven't we drank him again?"

"You think so?" She moved to the other side of Spike crossing her arms and staring down. "When Giles turned him human he was all glowy and stuff. He's not doing that now."

"I don't know slayer and oh yeah, I don't care. I'm going back to bed. Wake me when I give a damn." He turned back at the door. "Which means never."

She turned back to Spike and picked him up, placing his rather light body in her bed and pacing in front it. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. Humans didn't just pass out. There had to be a reason but there wasn't one she could think of. The only human he had interaction with was Xander that day and there was absolutely no way he could have caused this. He was tied down the entire time, Spike told her as much.

Whatever the reason there was only one way to fix it. Spike needed to be a vampire again and soon. If he wasn't changing now, and her gut told her he wasn't, then she was just going to have to do it. Screw his plan of waiting. It needed to be done.


	23. All Be Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No torture. No non con. Read with your head held high. (other warnings still apply - see chapter 1)
> 
> There shouldn't be any more descriptive scenes like that. I take no offense if you didn't "enjoy" the last couple chapters. (enjoy in quotes because is that really the right word?) Anyway... enjoy now.

* * *

Dawn had been visited by Buffy a lot. She found it hard to do anything for herself since both her hands were out of commission. She couldn't eat or drink or even use the bathroom by herself. The thoughts of escaping were pointless as not only was she locked into her room but she couldn't pick anything up to use to escape anyway. Plus, where would she go?

Buffy was usually pretty...nice...when she visited but once in a while she would snap usually when Dawn continued to refuse about a millions times in a row, sometimes being too stubborn for her to handle.

"Have I ever told you how much of a whiner you are? Everything is just- Buffy is the slayer and she gets all the attention because she's special, I'm special too, pay attention to me! Me! Me! Me! No one cares! But when you're like me, you can make them care. They'll have to listen to you. You won't give them a choice. You'll have so much power in your control. Don't you want that?"

"No."

"Oh sweetie. Wake up! Spike was the only one who cared to listen to you and that was only because of me. The only time anyone did anything for you was because of me. I gave you everything. And it actually worked out in your favor. While the mongrels I used to call my friends dragged me back from a place of sanctity and peace and ripped me into this hell, you weren't listened to. You had no part. Things are about to change. And you are going to be on the side that comes out on top."

Spike visited her a few times too. They kind of just talked like they used to. Nothing about anything that mattered. Like Monopoly or Cheetos. Why were they so addictive? It helped her forget for a while.

Whenever she was alone she would just glare at the ceiling and wonder what she could have done better. She talked to her mom a few times but just like every time before she never answered. What brought her comfort was thinking Buffy's soul was with her mother's and if they forced her to become a vampire maybe her soul would join them.

The Bronze was thumping from the beat of the DJ that night. Buffy and Spike were sipping scotch on the couch with an uncomfortable looking Dawn shoved in between them. It was her first night out of the mansion.

"Cheer up Dawnie!" Buffy shouted over the music shaking her head to it and bobbing along so her hair flew into her face. "Didn't we give you enough pain killers?"

"How can I cheer up if everyone is still at the mansion?"

"The Neanderthal promised to play nice." Spike yelled to her. "Don't worry bout them."

"Oh good. Evil soulless liar vampire Angelus said he'd do something. I have no reason not to believe that."

"Oh come on." Buffy knocked her shoulder with hers. "You don't need them to have fun! Loosen up a little. Let the boys see your new outfit."

Buffy had taken the time before bringing them out to dress Dawn up in some of her new clothes and make up. She was resistant at first but she quickly became pliant, like when Buffy and her were playing dress up when they were little. She had on one of Buffy's new tube tops that left her back exposed with only ties keeping it together and a pair of skinny jeans Buffy picked out just for her along with a pair of kick ass (or so Buffy put it) boots that hugged her calves and ended in a killer sharp heel. She felt uncomfortable with all the looks she was getting and the makeup felt itchy around her eyes, more than what she was used to, but when Buffy brought up a mirror she did have to admit to herself that she looked good. Hot even. Like and adult. But then Buffy started to fix her top and it looked like it was moving by itself and she remembered that she couldn't be thinking things like that. That was what Buffy wanted.

"No." Dawn sunk lower into the couch. "One of them might recognize me."

"So? What about that boy you liked? What was his name? Danny? Kenny? Ronny?"

"Johnny." Spike answered Buffy for her and shook his head. "He turned out to be an arse. Hooking up with Christina and Rachel and that 13 year old bimbo. No good that one. It's Richard now."

"Oooh," Buffy whistled. "Who's Richard? Is he here?"

"He's no one and don't worry about it." Dawn glared at Spike for spilling the beans on that one and Buffy tapped her shoulder and pointed over near the bar.

"Is that him?" Dawn followed her finger to a boy shuffling and dropping his eyes as soon as she looked.

"That's no one." She also dropped her eyes back to her lap.

"That's Anthony." Spike answered for her sending a wink to Buffy over her shoulder. "He fancies her."

"Go talk to him." Buffy pushed her side and she bumped into Spike refusing to look up again.

"No."

"Come on. You want me to?"

"No!"

"Then go. Have some confidence. You look hot. You are hot. Show him what you got." Dawn glared at her with a giant pout on her lips so Buffy added, "Go ask him to dance or I'll make him ask you."

Dawn sighed, looked at Spike for help but he just nodded her on so she got up and started walking over to the bar already an apologetic look on her face for Anthony. Sorry my evil vampire sister is threatening your life without you knowing it. Do you want to dance?

Buffy listened to Dawn start to talk to him mentioning that her hands were wrapped due to an unfortunate cooking incident that burned her house down. Dawn thought it made her seem like a pyro but it was Buffy's idea to tell that lie so she figured she had to go with it.

"They grow up so fast." Buffy sighed and sipped back more of her drink.

"Look at her go." Spike chuckled when Anthony ended up laughing at something she said and she sent glares over at the two of them on the couch.

"She's a Summers. They can't resist the charm of our women. We are worth many goats."

"I don't know about that." He smirked and shouted over the music. "Can't start counting dowry till we see your moves on the dance floor."

"I don't know if you could handle that." She smirked back while chewing on the end of a straw from her last drink. "You already passed out because of them."

"That was not- I did not- Don't flatter yourself."

"Then what was it Spike?"

"How am I supposed to know? Peaches probably slipped me something to be funny."

"You told me you were alone except for Xander."

"I gotta eat. He coulda roofied me."

"Why would he do that?"

"To be an arse."

"Has it happened before?"

Spike only gave her a moment's glance before looking away and running his fingers over his jaw. "Do you think I could pull off a beard?"

"Spike! No! And has it happened before?"

"Once." He spit out, quickly chugging back a bit of his drink.

"Spike-"

"Maybe a couple of times." He shrugged. "Not much. Roofies come in packs you know."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I ain't gonna bellyache. It's just a couple of black outs. Besides. You've been busy, I've been busy. Don't matter."

"Don't matter? Spike you are human. Humans don't just pass out. Especially not those that were vampires turned human by dark magic."

"Pretty sure those would be the humans to pass out."

"Oh my god you are so frustrating."

"You were the one calling me a pansy ass human."

Her jaw clicked open in utter astonishment. Men could be such idiots. "So what, you're just trying to prove a big macho point here? You're mortal. You could die."

"You think I don't know that?"

"No. Because if you did you would stop being so annoying and let me change you." He should have been giving her props for not changing him in his sleep already.

"That ain't gonna happen."

"Would you stop being such a-"

"Where's the Little Bit?"

"Huh?" She quickly looked over at the bar and found it empty. "Oh damn." Buffy stood up and searched around quick relieved to see Dawn out on the dance floor trying to dance without allowing her hands to bump into other people. It was a bit awkward and she still looked mostly miserable but Buffy caught a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. "She's having a good time."

"That makes one of us."

"What is wrong with you?" She threw her free hand on her hip and stood over him with a fed up expression. "You've been spending too much time with Xander. You're starting to sound like him."

"Don't you dare say that!"

"I'll say anything I want when you're being such a big idiot!"

"You better shut up slayer."

"Or what? You'll bleed on me? Oh no! Not fast food!"

"Buffy?" A boy interrupted them and Buffy turned with a fuming face to find Charles, a boy that was in her grade in high school -who was remarkably hot in his plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows. "Wow. Long time no see."

"Charles." Buffy threw on her fake smile and sent a quick glare to Spike before turning and throwing on that Summers charm. She'd show him. She was worth a flock of goats. Was it flock? Herd? Oh who cares. "Hi, wow it's been so long. You look good."

"So do you." She had on a new mini skirt with her fishnets and heels with a tight low cut red top…so yeah. It was true. She let his eyes rake over her, Spike glaring into her back before she took a sip from her scotch and pulled his eyes up. "I didn't even recognize you with the hair."

"It's new."

"Hey do you want to dance?" He gestured towards the floor and snapped back when he heard Spike clearing his throat. "Unless you're with-"

"Please." She laughed. "He's just bothering me. Let's go." She slammed her scotch back and left the empty glass near Spike's feet crossed on the table before grabbing Charles' arm and leading the way. She winked at Dawn when she passed her and grabbed the boy around his delicious looking neck, swaying her hips to the beat of the song. Spike could pout all he wanted, she was going to have fun.

Spike was staring and glaring and mumbling to himself when Dawn dropped back down into the seat next to him.

"Spike? You okay?"

"Peachy. You and Anthony get on?"

She ignored his question and instead crossed her arms, moving so she was in front of Spike's view of the dance floor. "I know what you guys are trying to do. And I'm not falling for it. So you guys can stop."

"What?" He jolted away, giving up on looking at the slayer. It was just what she wanted anyway. To make him mad.

"You're trying to make me think that being a vampire will be fun and sexy and like full of clothes and stuff."

"And money." He threw her a wink at one of his favorite perks. "Can't forget the money."

"But it's not though. I'm not going to do it. So why do you keep pushing me? Why does she? Do you want me to change? Do you want me to become this evil soulless thing?"

"Dawn…It's complicated, alright?"

"Why? Why put me through this?"

"I know Buffy's as tame as a wood chipper." He picked up glaring at her again as another boy drew his attention deciding to join their little dance group. "But she means well." He muttered, not very believably.

"I know she's just trying to help. Or she thinks she is. But she's evil. She has no soul. How can she help if she doesn't care?"

"Um hello?" Spike pointed to himself. "Evil. Have no soul."

"You're 'evil'." The quotes weren't really coming through with her hands all wrapped up and it looked like she was pawing the air but he got what she was trying to say. "I mean I know you changed since that chip and you don't have it now but you're different than her. But…no matter how good a vampire may seem they still have to kill people. They want to. I can't kill people."

"There are other ways. Blood banks are real easy to snag from. Peaches went to eating the bad guys for a while. Real vigilante. Butcher sell pig's if you want to go vegetarian."

"But that was because Angel had his soul. I won't. Can you promise me that you won't let me kill people? That Buffy won't make me? That I won't want to?"

"It's not like you'll care."

"I care now."

"Look," He sighed at the defeated look on her face. "The deck's been dealt. You hold all the cards you're gonna get. Buffy's the one holding the flush here."

Her face scrunched up and she slumped forward a little bit, feeling lost. "Is that poker? You never taught me poker."

"Right. Red yelled at me for starting." He shook his head and adjusted himself on the couch to face her better. "Buffy…she's not going back."

"You don't know that. You didn't try very hard to get her back."

"It's dark magic Nibblet. I've been around long enough to know that stuff's no good."

"But we always find a way."

"Not this time kid."

"But how do you know?! I mean why are you always defending her? She's not the same. She's not like she was before she died. So how can you-"

"Because she's still Buffy."

"No she's not."

"If you look past the make-up and the piercings and the new outfits and the attitude and the really short hair and the ridiculous way she throws herself at everyone," He sent another glare towards the dance floor. "She's still the same stubborn woman she always was. She's giving you the choice isn't she?"

"But why give me the choice at all? Not that I'm saying- I mean- If she really cared she wouldn't be keeping me in a cell. Any of us."

"Buffy won pet. She's a force to be reckoned with and you don't need to be reckoning with her."

"So basically my options are say yes, become an evil blood sucking demon. Say no, and get tortured like the rest of my friends."

"Buffy won't torture you."

"So what will she do?"

"She promised you wouldn't get hurt." He smiled at her but she clearly didn't believe him. "This is the only way to make sure that never happens."

"So you want me to say yes because you want to babysit me for life?"

"No you big brat. I want you around, can't say I don't. Believe it or not I don't hate your guts. But there are other things than Buffy out there. Is it so bad that we just want to make sure you stick through it?"

"You two sound like my parents or something."

"If it were up to me I'd let you live human. Sometimes I wish I…Well let's just say I knew someone. Turned vamp without permission. Didn't go so well. With you if you have the choice and you choose…" Spike tried to shake the memory out of his head, taking another sip off his drink and let the alcohol burn it out. "I don't know maybe Buffy'll let you be human. But in the world she has planned, I don't see that being such a bright idea."

"You guys keep mentioning her plans." Dawn threw her voice mockingly. "Buffy's plans. The world she has planned. Hell on earth. What are you guys talking about? What are they?"

"If I told you, I'd have to bite you." Spike smirked at her and she was already rolling her eyes back.

"Mhmm. I just think you don't know." He didn't chomp on her bate and they sat in silence a moment more before she spoke one of her many thoughts on the subject again. "You know even if I did change I'd be stuck as a teenager."

"So?"

"So there's a reason you never see young vampires. It's lame! Who wants to be stuck as a teenager for the rest of eternity?"

"Plenty of people. That girl who never wears a bra on the telly and what's that band you like? With the poncey boys that look like their mum bought their clothes."

"Um. N'Sync?"

"Sure right. Vampires. Lot of them."

"You're joking."

"Last they were together was early 20s. Part of an all boy choir."

"No."

"Oh yeah. Very popular."

Dawn kept shaking her head not believing him for a second before rolling her eyes and continuing on that thought. "But that's them. They can sing and they're hot and stuff. If I got stuck at this age I wouldn't be able to do any of that. I would never be able to buy a beer, or rent a car, or get a real boyfriend, or own a house, or-"

"You are missing the big flashing neon sign here." He interrupted and imitated lights flashing with one of his hands. "Vampire. Need, want, take. Period."

"And you won't get those anymore either." Buffy popped up behind her and smiled.

"Done with the farmer?" Spike asked with a glare, looking around for Charles.

"No. Drink break. I just came for this-" She snatched the scotch out of Spike's hand too quick for him to do more than huff. "Dawn you should come dance with us."

"No that's okay."

"Oh come on. See what it's like on the wild side instead of Spike here boring you to death just talking about it." She glared at him and he continued to glare right back. "Besides, he's a bad example. He's just a scared human sitting on his ass and moping about how pathetic he is without doing a thing about it. Come on. Leave him and come dance with me. I'll meet you out there." She winked and jogged back to the dance floor and out of their view. Spike was left still glaring at the place she was.

"I'll give you she hasn't changed with you much." Dawn fake smiled in his direction. "Does she still beat you up for fun?"

"Someone's getting beat if she keeps on. That stake wound healed too quick. I may have to give her another."

"You do realize she's a slayer vampire power bomb right?"

His nose curled in disgust as he imitated her voice. "And I'm just the weak little human pouting in the corner. Yeah I get it you can shut up about it!" He yelled at the dance floor and he hoped she was listening for him. She would be able to hear it over that music. He knew.

Dawn watched as he crossed his arms under his chin and glared at the floor. There had been one question bothering her about Spike and Buffy since she had been cooped up. The way the two acted around eat other it just seemed like, "Do you still love her?"

"What?"

"Now that's she's evil like you. You can tell me. I won't tell her. I just want to know, you know? I mean...I still love her you know? Like, I know she's my sister and I do but I was wondering about you. The others seem to hate her but you loved her before...is it still possible? To love someone after they change?"

"We're not gonna drop you after we change you Little Bit."

"I didn't mean me." Maybe she did just a little. In case they decided to change her without permission, of course. "Would you just answer me?"

He groaned and went for the drink he didn't have before leaning on his elbows, grabbing a strangers, chugging back a bit of some terribly fruity concoction and cursing. "Dammit. Course I do. At her best and her worst." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Why did alcohol always make him sound like some romantic chick flick ponce? "I'll take her in both. She hasn't changed. I haven't either." He lost himself in thought for a moment more before turning to Dawn with eyebrows pinched and a set frown. "You know what? I'm not a pansy ass human. I'm a vampire. Hold this."

"But I don't have any hands." He slapped the new drink in her lap and stood up.

"You'll find a way to drink it."

"I'm underage! And on painkillers."

"More fun that way." He winked and started to walk away before adding on. "Oh and don't go running away. Buffy's tracking has gotten pretty good. You won't get very far."

With that he turned to face the mass of teens swarming around each other, pumping away to the beat pulsing through the floor. He found Buffy in the middle now surrounded by boys and girls all taking their turns dancing up on her. Charles was the closest, hugging her back and trying to tip her face so it could reach his. A growl ripped through Spike's throat as he called out to her, "Hey Slayer!" Buffy started dancing in his direction and raised her eyebrow. "Thought I was gonna see your moves."

"If I wanted to dance with a big mope I would have let Angel keep his soul."

"Well let's fix that." He walked into the center of her circle and pushed a couple of kids out of the way so he could reach her and put a hand on her hip. Only to have it promptly shoved off by Charles.

"Hey, leave her alone."

"And why should I?"

"You were bothering her."

"I were. Now, you are. So get out of my way before I feel inclined to do something about it."

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do?"

"Normally I'd snap your neck and use your trachea as a straw. But I guess I'll settle for this." Spike curled his arm back and sent it flying directly into Charles' smug face. The boy stumbled a bit but was quick to come back for another punch that Spike easily deflected. The next moment Spike had his knee in the boy's stomach, his fist on his face again, and finally the heel of his boot on the boy's scull. He looked back at Buffy and smirked, "You want me to kill him for you?"

"No. He doesn't look that good to me now."

Spike used that boot to spin off the boy's head and face her. "And what does look good to you?"

"I don't know." She licked her lip, surprisingly entertained by the rough and tumble display. For the first time since Spike was turned human she could see and feel that power inside pound out in tangible evil waves. "A macho mopester."

Spike smirked and grabbed both her hips roughly, pulling her quick to his body and making the rest of the humans give a wide space for them, backing away in fear. It felt right that fear. He watched the lights dance over her face as he slipped his hands around her back and pinned her to his side. "Macho?"

"Major macho." She tilted up her head and he closed his eyes, bending down right before she gasped, "Shit." He opened his eyes and looked down at her as she was glaring at the back door. "Dawn just took a cell to the alley."

They charged through the people quick and found Dawn trying to dial the cell hugged in between her bandaged hands, very unsuccessfully. "Dawn!" Buffy spooked her and she dropped the phone onto the ground. "Who you calling?"

"No one." She tried to kick the borrowed phone back but she knew they already saw.

"No really. I'm curious. Who were you going to call? Whose number do you have?"

"I um-"

"So what 911? Emergency my sister is a vampire? They wouldn't believe you. What was the plan? Operator give me the vampire busters?" Dawn shut her mouth and started glaring without answering. The clam up. Oh a favorite of hers. "We aren't hurting you Dawn. Why are you trying to hurt us?" Dawn still didn't answer so she sighed and turned to Spike whose eyes fell back into his skull as he promptly fell to the ground, passing out yet again. Buffy closed her eyes, shook her head, and screamed quietly towards the sky. "Come on. Time to go home."

* * *

"Why am I here?" Angelus complained, taking up the entire couch and leaving Buffy to pace while Spike sat in the chair, looking unhappy. Actually they all looked rather unhappy.

"To figure out why Spike keeps dropping like a fly." Buffy said double checking that he wasn't out again by slapping his shoulder roughly. His eyes popped open and he gave an exaggerated gasp as he covered where she had just hit him with his hand.

"Ow."

"Who cares?" Angelus groaned at the ceiling. "He's not dead."

"Yet." Spike barked while using his blade to dig the dirt out from under his nails. "Till you slip me too much."

"Sorry to disappoint you kitten. But you're not my date rape type."

"Guys!" Buffy called them back. "Focus here." For a moment she had a flashback of being the slayer, pacing around while she talked to her friends figuring out what the demon was and the plan that followed. Well she couldn't think that now. She shook her head and continued. "What could it be?"

"Low blood pressure." Spike sighed and closed his eyes, slamming his head against the back of his chair again. "I don't know pet. Does it really matter?"

"Yes it matters. Now shut up and think. When did you first start passing out?"

"It was…after the gang of screw ups showed up. The whelp passed out on me and I-" He gestured with the knife as if that would end that sentence.

"What'd you do differently than the other days as a human?"

"Nothing."

"Well it's got to be something. Think harder!"

"You're making a deal out of nothing slayer. It's magic. Magic has a price. I'm a human who can't play golf in the sun and passes out once in a while. No big deal."

Buffy had to stop in her tracks in order to ask, "Did you want to play golf Spike?"

"No but I wouldn't mind a club right about now. Better than sitting through this intervention."

"Would you two shut up?" Angelus clawed at his face and groaned. Why did he have to fix their problems? "You just said it."

"What?" Buffy turned to him now, letting go of the shout she was going to give Spike. "That he's passing out because of the spell?"

"The thing he did different. He's holding it." Angelus gestured towards Spike's knife.

"The knife?" Spike looked down at his knife and shook his head trying to put it together.

"Magic knife that heals humans." Angelus nodded with his mouth open like he was pointing out the obvious. "Gotta get that magic mojo from somewhere." He added under his breath, "Damn gypsies."

"But you didn't get all tipsy when you used it." Spike pointed out, wielding it towards him.

"I'm already dead."

"Right." Buffy nodded along getting more excited with this answer. At least the spell wasn't killing him. She wasn't good with magic. This she could understand and deal with. Even if it was magic. Well not magic, magic. Still. "A vampire would heal too quick for it to affect them. So you -human you- stabs Xander and the knife uses you to fix him."

"Just my luck." He pouted and threw the knife onto the middle table, glaring at it from his seat. He liked that knife.

"So just stop using it right?" Buffy sighed too and threw Angelus' legs off the couch, much to his disagreement, and slumped down. "We need to find out how that knife works. I wish someone was here to do research. I hate research." She groaned and started talking to herself out loud as everyone else refused to talk. "We don't know how bad off you are already. You could by dying right now." But there was an easy solution to that. "That's it, we're changing you."

"You're not biting me." He jumped up and had a hand at his neck already, the other pointing between the two vamps. "Neither of you are biting me."

"Well I'm not losing you Spike."

"Oh god someone stake me." Angelus threw an arm over his eyes and flipped back into the couch, not minding that he kicked Buffy in the side to do it.

"Alright then." Buffy sighed and crossed her arms ignoring both of their immaturity. "Plan B."

* * *

Tara continued to look at the crack under the door. It was her only source of light and sometimes she swore she could see people moving outside of it. More than once food and water were left for her inside. She never saw them open the door so she figured they only left it for her when she was sleeping.

When she did her blind crawl through the room she could fee a small nob in the door and that's where she guessed they could see her. On one wall there was a smooth glass panel that she thought could have been a window but no light ever came through it. She tried to hit it but it was too strong to break. The rest of the room was bare. She couldn't find anything but a few spare pebbles that fell from the rock of the walls and a bucket in the corner which she had a pretty good idea the use for.

She was used to the darkness after a while, alone with her thoughts and worries. Most of those revolved around Willow and how she was doing. She had no one to ask. Magic didn't come that easy so even though she tried to do something as simple as creating a small light, it failed. There was no way she would be able to use it to check on the others. Though, she knew she needed to learn. And fast.

Days passed without change so it really surprised her when the door opened and Angelus walked inside.

In a distant part of the mansion Buffy waited for Spike to meet up with her.

It took a bit to get everything together because everything was still hectic and messy. In that time Spike took it easy, left the knife locked in his room, and didn't pass out. Lucky for Xander really. But at the end of it all she had everything ready for plan B and for the long haul to come and she was going to finally enjoy it all properly. No more running about and no more missed connections. Her 'friends' were captured, everything was coming together, and she was going to get what she wanted. And one thing she wanted was rounding the corner.

"What are you wearing?!" She burst out laughing as Spike came down wearing a form fitting and very, very blue ¾ shirt.

"Yeah, laugh it up." He threw up his arms and gave her a twirl so she could have a better view.

"That is blue. I mean wow. Warn a vamp if you're gonna wear something like that. Where did you get it?"

"Had it. Ran out of clothes. It's not like we have a washing machine and me with the thumping heart and all…"

She shook her head in disbelief, still chuckling. "Let's go you big blueberry."

They turned and Spike followed asking, "You sure you won't kill her?"

"Why would I kill our special guest?"

Willow was waiting in the corner of the room. She had been left alone and in the dark for quite a while with absolutely no visits since the capture. The only time her door was opened was to throw her food and water, of which she got little, and she never saw it open. All she was left with was the feeling Buffy left in her by yelling at her over and over again. She could only go over everything she said and feel how true it really was.

Then Tara came to mind. Where was she? Was she okay? Where were they keeping her? The last they saw of each other she had been full of dark magic, completely unreachable. What kind of impression did that leave? Was she even thinking of her? Was she finding a way out? Would she get her out?

What was their last happy memory? They had been together in bed, full of promises of the situation being fixed. Pancakes were cooking. Giles just had to call them out before they could share their love completely. Was she really never going to get that again? That safety? That comfort? Would she ever be able to hold her in her arms?

She had tried to do some magic but like Buffy had said it failed. Her cell was the box she was trapped in and her magic was trapped in a box inside her body. It felt uncomfortable to be with such constrictions. It kept trying to find its way out and it was just plain painful.

Contact came when Buffy strode in with the luminescent blue Spike guarding the outside of the door. "Alright, I'm going to cut right to the chase. We're going for a walk. Try anything and I'll call Angelus. He can hear us right now actually. Vampire hearing. Try anything, magic or otherwise, and he'll snap Tara's little neck."

Willow swallowed audibly but nodded and crawled to her feet. Then she saw Spike and a bit of cross between a laugh and scoff came out of her mouth. Spike turned to glare at her, "What?"

"Nothing." She tried to cover herself, remembering where she was, but she looked back at Buffy who was also trying not to smile. "Blue looks good on you." Buffy began to chuckle and for a very brief moment she was reminded of a time before all this hell had been let lose. A time where they could laugh and joke openly, easily. It only made her smile fall faster.

Spike led and Buffy watched her from behind as they made their ways through the hall. Instantly she could feel the magic free in her body and the relief that came with that. She tried to remember the way they took but she didn't know what to expect. She didn't know if she even could get away. She really wasn't going to try anything if Tara was in trouble. Silently she tried to send her a message to let her know everything would be alright but she wouldn't do much more, even if it was tempting.

The temptation really didn't explode until they reached the room. Surrounding her was every bit of magic she could ever ask for and more. The room was a treasure trove of books, spices, gems, symbols, statues, and pretty much everything she remembered from the Magic Box.

"Yeah, Anya might be pissed at the missing inventory." Buffy explained why that was true. "Well there isn't much of a shop to go back to anyway. I heard someone burned it down." She winked before walking to the middle of the room and gesturing for the witch to follow. "But this is my favorite part." She pointed to the wall and Willow looked to see a window but it didn't lead outside. There she saw Tara pressed up against Angelus with his hand at her throat and a silver knife flashing against her stomach. She gasped and tried to catch her attention but she wasn't looking at her. She wasn't really looking at anything in the room. "I had to hire some guys to put this thing in. I'm not really all techy or whatever but she can't see or hear you but you can see and hear her. Unless we press that button over there. Go ahead. Try it out."

Willow nervously approached the red button attached to what looked like an intercom. She looked over at the vamps behind her before pressing it and stuttering out, "T-Tara?"

"Willow?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm okay."

"Alright that's enough." Buffy quickly ripped her back, cutting her relief short, and shoved an open book in her hands instead. "The spell. You're going to do it."

Willow found her eyes wide roaming the open pages. It was the book Giles used. The one she felt so drawn to. The one she could read without translation with no explanation. Her fingers started to itch as the magic curled in her stomach and she quickly looked up to make sure that Tara couldn't see the way she felt. Her eyes were still darting around so it didn't seem that way.

She read what spell the book was open to and looked back over to Spike who was resting lazily in the corner chipping off the new coat of polish on his nails and revealing the dried blood underneath. Seems his knife didn't get it all. "You want me to undo the spell Giles did?"

"Quick on the draw Red." Spike threw her a look that suggested the opposite before Buffy pulled her attention away.

"Tara tried but our little goody two shoes couldn't handle the dark magic. She already told us the spell will go away on its own, Giles having died before he got to finish."

"You murdered him."

"I get it! Whatever! He didn't finish. But since that spell was meant to be forever, I figure Spike could be stuck for a while. It could be years, we don't know, so you are gonna fix him. Today. Right now actually." Willow looked back over at Spike who was now smiling. "Or we're gonna have to turn a blind eye to Angelus' time with Tara. Well, I say turn a blind eye but that's just an expression. You'll be watching and listening to her scream right here. So! You better get to it." Willow ran over the spell again with a glance and looked back up at Tara. There were others spells in the book, if only she could remember those. "Oh and try anything, flip the page even and same thing. We'll know if you are. We already watched Tara do it."

Willow looked back down trying to think of anything that could get her out of this. "It's dark magic."

"Yes it is." Buffy walked in front of her pushing up so close that the book started to press back into her stomach. "And we know you can do it. In fact, it's quite a specialty of yours." She reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind the witch's ear, making her recoil from the unwanted caring touch. "So do it."

"I don't- I don't want to."

"Too bad." Buffy pouted before quickly flipping it to a smile and yelling through the wall at the vamp on the other side, "Angelus!" He nodded and slipped the knife up the front of Tara's shirt, clacking along the buttons with every inch until the fabric fell open and the cold metal hit her bare chest. Tara gasped in shock and fear but tried really hard not to show it all because she knew Willow was watching. Angelus had told her so. Even if all she could see was her reflection in that one-way mirror.

"Wait!" Willow screamed. "I'll do it." It wouldn't be the worst thing after all. Spike was a vampire before and he was still evil even as a human. There wouldn't be much difference from before. It was going to happen anyway.

Plus…she could stretch the magic within her before it had to be cramped back down into its little box.

"Of course you will." Buffy nodded towards the room and knocked on the glass so Angelus would let the knife up. Willow started to pace around doing everything she had seen Tara do before to prepare for the spell. "And do you know why you are? Not because of Tara being held at knife point. Oh sure that's part of it but the real reason? You _do_ want to." Willow flinched as she started to reach for the candles trying her best to keep an eye on both vamps in the room while checking up on her girlfriend without being obvious. "Because it's who you are Willow. You are the big bad witch of the west whether you want to be or not."

"Speaking of, Oz is still on fire." Spike gestured towards the direction of the front door where the purple fire still burned. "Went to get a happy meal, nearly burned my trousers off. Woulda looked worse than Dawn."

Willow flinched at that too. Swallowing her fear and looking at Buffy she asked, "Is she okay?"

"No." Buffy answered back coldly. "But you better answer Spike. Hate to have another reason to keep Tara all exposed like this. Though, wow, girl does have a body."

"Holy water." Willow answered quickly, looking back at Tara and then to Spike. "You put them out with holy water."

"Very smart Wills." Buffy chuckled. "Very devious of you. I'll make sure to have Tara put them out after we're done here. Won't you Tara?" Of course Tara didn't answer and Willow just picked up the pace.

When she had finished drawing with the chalk on the floor and lit every candle she gestured for Spike to move over. He went to the same position on the floor as with Tara before and Willow lifted the book to see the words clearer.

"Can't you feel it Willow?" Buff crouched down next to her and put a hand over the book, keeping her from reading the words quite yet. "All that power inside you. I can. I can feel it in you trying to get out. It feels good when you let it doesn't it? Just make sure not to hurt Spike. Anything you do to him other than that spell, we will do to Tara ten times over."

"No pressure." Spike added sarcastically sending Buffy a bit of a death stare. The girl was about to perform magic on him. She needn't be bothered right before she did.

Buffy stood up and nodded and Willow started to chant the words she saw. The power crawled fast and the world around her started to blur more with every word. The darkness pulled her in quicker this time and she could feel it start to pulse through her and into the symbols drawn around her and Spike. Over her chanting she could hear Buffy's encouraging words and it only pushed her more.

"See Willow? This feels right. This is who you are. This is the you that sired me."

Spike cried out in pain sharply this time, much louder than when Tara had tried the spell. His body fell flat like it had been pulled down and chained with one of the many contraptions they had in the mansion, bringing the magical pieces placed on him down, and he started to shake as his eyes rolled back into his head.

Buffy dropped right away to his side just outside the circle drawn on the floor. It was glowing white this time and that glow started to seep into Spike's skin and crawl over every inch of his body. The more it covered the more he seized and the more he screamed.

Every instinct was telling her to go to him but she looked at Willow and she knew she couldn't touch. It was some sort of sire-vampire bond thing and she knew it. It was like she could feel Willow's thoughts as her black eyes continued to move down the page.

Without needing to look at what she was doing Willow raised her palm and the small rock raised from the ground and landed in it. She held out her other hand showing the veins constricting under her pale skin in unnatural shades of harsh dark red, all starting to crawl up her arms. In one move she cut herself and black blood started to seep out of her palm. She placed the blood on Spike's lip without moving only using the intense amount of magic surrounding her to do it. He didn't react this time. Too busy seizing.

Willow was shouting near the end screaming the finishing touch to the dark magic healing spell and screaming in unison with the spell's object. In a flash the lights went down, the candles blew out, and Spike stopped shaking. Even his glowing was fading fast. She lifted her head and felt the magic continue to pulse around him as he passed out completely.

Buffy ran forward and fell to his side. She started to shake him but he wouldn't move. She listened but there were only two heartbeats. Willow's and Tara's. There was no heartbeat, no heat, but he was just lying there. He wasn't human but he wasn't waking up. "What did you do?" Did she… "He's not alive but he's not waking up!"

Willow spun with the room but stayed conscious enough to answer remembering that she had to save Tara before they did something drastic. "The spell. It's the spell. He'll be out for a while. Just give it… give it…." No food, no water, and a spell that powerful…she passed out right next to Spike's side.

* * *

Buffy put Spike in his room and closed the door. She had stayed by his side for a few hours but there had been no change. She knew she shouldn't be so worried but she was. He used the knife so many times…what if it took too much of his life energy away? What if he was too weak? What if the demon couldn't be fixed? What if Giles made the spell so there was no way to fix it? What if he didn't wake up?

She meant what she told him before. She didn't know what she would do without him. Soulless as she was, she found herself caring for him more and more every day. Why did they have to keep playing this cat and mouse game? Why did she have to tease him so much? She was a vampire god dammit. She knew he liked her, loved her even, and she couldn't just leave the teasing alone? Especially since this kept happening. They kept missing each other.

If..when...when he woke up there wasn't going to be any more fooling around.

Instead of pacing in front of his door alone, she went to Dawn. She needed to get out of there.

She didn't say anything to her. Just led her out of her room. At first she didn't want to but it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

Buffy brought her out the door into the fresh night air and hiked her onto her back. She clung to her with her legs and Buffy started running. Really running. Her hair whipped away from her face in the speed, faster than Dawn had ever been on foot before. They climbed higher and higher in the mountains on the outskirts of Sunnydale avoiding all trees and branches, inhumanly graceful, until they couldn't climb any more.

Dawn gasped at the night view, a giant full moon shining over the city lit by street lamps and late nighters. Everything was basking in the beautiful glow of the cloudless sky and when Buffy let her down she had to walk on the edge of their rock to make sure it was the same Sunnydale she knew.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Dawn nodded without turning. "You should see it with my eyes. I can see the craters on the moon, the people on the street, the owls in the trees, and so much more. I can smell the rain from the last storm. I can feel the water still in the air. There's just so much I wish I could share with you."

Dawn couldn't turn, she just kept thinking about what Spike said about her having a choice. She had time to think it over since The Bronze and she saw only two options: live as a vampire or die alone. All hope of finding a way out was gone. She looked over the cliff side and her heart jumped into her chest. They were high up. Very high up.

"Where's Spike?" She asked toward the city following a few cars leaving on the desert road. She couldn't help wondering where they were going, escaping from the Hellmouth.

"He's...changing." Buffy sighed quietly to herself hoping that was really true and that Willow hadn't screwed up in some way. If she had she was going to pay for it not only ten times over but another one hundred. That was like a thousand times over. And she meant that. "Willow performed a healing spell for his demon. He wanted to be a vampire again." Dawn didn't need to know about the knife and his use of it with Xander. Dawn didn't answer though, still focused only on the lights twinkling below and above. "Dawn I know you're scared. But there's so much more to life that you can't see as a human."

"Everyone keeps talking about your plans." Dawn didn't regard her comment in any way, watching some type of bird flying through the air. "Spike said it wouldn't be safe for me as a human."

"It wouldn't." Buffy answered truthfully, wishing Spike was there with her. He was very helpful when it came to answering these questions with Dawn.

"What will you do if I say no? Will you kill me?" This time when asking Buffy if she would kill her, she wasn't nervous or scared. It was just a fact she wanted to know. Live as a vampire or die alone.

"I can't kill you Dawn. You know that."

"What about the others?"

"What about them?"

"Are they alive?"

Buffy shook her head at Dawn's back annoyed. She had asked about the others repetitively and she always gave her the same answer. "For now."

Dawn sighed looking down again at the sound of a car honking its horn. Buffy was going to kill them all. She was going to be left all alone. She already was. Her sister was gone. "Can't you just let us fix you?"

"That's never gonna happen." Buffy walked up behind her and tried to get her to understand. Again. "I'm never going back."

"So there's no hope?"

"There is. If you say yes."

It took a while for her to answer as she closed her eyes and breathed in the chill of the night air. Day after day of being locked in that mansion...she hadn't felt so free in such a long time. "When you jumped off the tower to save me, to save everyone, what helped you do it? How could you make that leap?"

"Why?" Buffy looked at her curiously, not liking this trail of conversation. She especially didn't like how fixated Dawn was on the view.

"You killed yourself to save the world."

"I killed myself so you could live. So live. Forever."

"Why?"

"To see it all. To do all you ever wanted. To do something for yourself." Why was she always stuck on repeat? They had this conversation so many times.

Dawn stared at her feet, kicked a pebble over the side and watched it fall. That's when Buffy noticed hear her heart pounding too loudly, too fast. It was loud that Dawn could actually hear it pounding in her own ears.

It would just be one step. Just one step to end it all.

It had been so long since they were all captured. Night after night of no one coming to the rescue. They weren't going to be saved. Like Spike said, like Buffy said, like she knew -there was no hope. There was no going back.

"Let me help you." Buffy pulled her attention back for a moment, her voice coming out more desperate than she intended. "Just close your eyes and let it happen. You'll be doing something for yourself and me and Spike. It's not you being selfish Dawnie. It's me. I never wanted to lose you. Don't make me have to again."

Dawn shuffled closer to the edge taking in a big breath. Just one step. It was such a big step. "Just close my eyes." She took one final look over her beautiful home town and closed her eyes.

Buffy actually started to panic a bit as Dawn inched just the slightest bit closer to the edge. Spike was already scaring her enough, she didn't need Dawn doing it too. "Dawn. Get back from there."

"Thank you Buffy." Live as a vampire or die alone. "I know what choice I have to make."

"Dawn!" Alright, full panic mode now. She couldn't lose them both! She walked closer to her, only stopping when Dawn shouted.

"Stay back!"

This was not how this was supposed to go! This was supposed to be a nice trip outside, showing her something supernatural and wonderful. This was not a game of king of the hill here!

She tried to lower her voice, not actually believing what she was doing. She never expected to talk her sister down from the ledge. She was just supposed to say yes already! "It's okay. It will all be okay. I will never lie to you and I promise you it will all be okay."

All be okay. Dawn smiled at that. Buffy would go on with her evil plans, Spike would join her, and the three vampires would take over the town. Probably more than that based on the way they all kept talking. All their friends and family would die by their hands and Dawn wouldn't have to witness another moment of it. She would be with her mom and Buffy. No more being pulled in every direction. No more pain from the loss of her family, her sister, her friends. No more pain from having to live in this world. No more scratching for hope that didn't exist. Live as a vampire or die alone. Buffy was there. She wasn't alone. Not really. It would all be..."Okay." Dawn breathed in the scent of the night one last time, took a step, and took the leap.

Right over the edge.


	24. Red Roses

When Dawn looked over the side of the mountain, she saw a cliff with a very steep drop that would take her away from this nightmare. What Buffy saw was a dumb girl slamming into a giant rock because she didn't realize there were plenty of them jutting out to break her fall.

She didn't get much of a head start before Buffy jumped right after her.

Dawn actually hit a few rocks before falling onto a ledge, legs first, the snap of her bones breaking and her screams echoing in the dark. Buffy missed those rocks and landed rather gracefully next to her, especially tricky since there wasn't much room on that ledge. She loomed over her with much disappointment as she took in the bloodied mess she had become on the way down. Her bandages were half off because of rips made trying to catch hold of something. Blood was everywhere, scrapes lining up her arms and head. Her legs were just a mess and one was bending in the wrong direction.

"Leave me alone!" Dawn screamed when Buffy sank down next to her. She continued to scream after that, the pain beyond anything she had felt before. It was all over and especially in her sides. Never had she felt such pain in her back. Why couldn't she just pass out? That's what people did right?

"Oh Dawnie." Buffy tisked and put a cool hand over her forehead. The girl's screams were getting worse but that didn't stop her from being able to hear the heart in her chest beating faster than it ever had. One sniff and she could tell there was internal bleeding. There had to be with a fall like that. If she got a better look she would bet on some broken ribs at least. The blood was full of fear and pain and she had to breathe in through her mouth so she wouldn't tear into her right then. "Come on. Let's get you back."

Buffy reached down towards her waist and she screamed even louder, if that were possible. "Why can't you let me die?!" She started crying, and tried closing her eyes, thinking of anything else, but the darkness only made her hyper aware of every sensation she had. "Just let me go."

"No Dawn."

"Please. Just leave me."

"I'm not leaving you to die. You can either come home with me or…"

"No!"

"Okay then. Let's go back home." Buffy reached down again and Dawn started her blood curdling screams and pushed her away as best she could. "You know, if you helped this would be a lot easier."

"Get off me!"

"What do you want?" Buffy snapped and dropped her hands again. "No matter what I say you refuse to see how the change would be good for you. You want to live in pain? So I'm giving you what you want. Now let's go."

"No! No. No."

"Make a decision. Pain or me."

"I can't let you kill me. I can't- I can't- I can't- I can't-"

"Okay. You're stuck on repeat. We're going." Buffy leaned down again followed by yet another set of screaming. Only this time Buffy didn't stop until she lifted her body off the ground.

Then Dawn started punching and screaming again making her pause so she could pull her sensitive ears away from the ungodly noises. "Wait! Stop! Stop, stop, stop!" Dawn sobbed into her shoulder as she rested her back against the rocks, holding her body up as her lower half was completely shot. "I can't move my legs."

"No shit Sherlock. They're broken."

"No…I mean…I can't feel them."

Buffy looked down and ran a finger over the broken girl's thigh, stabbing it in at a random moment and looking up to see a reaction. There was none. Dawn was just looking down in horror and rambling hysterically. "I can't- they're- I was-I can't- I just- I can't-I can't- I can't- Oh god I-I-I-I can't feel- I can't move- I can't-I can't walk- I can't- I can't- I can't"

Buffy slapped Dawn right out of her rambling and grabbed her face in her hands, making her look at her. "Dawn. Look at me. Focus on me. I can fix this. Let me fix this. Just let me take care of you. Let me fix it."

Dawn looked at her wide eyed and body shaking. She was crying and couldn't breathe and she couldn't move and all she could do was shake her head staring at her broken legs. Until her head finally started to move up and down in a nod. Buffy shifted before she could realize what she agreed to. All she saw was a flash of gold before she felt a sharp pain in her neck and she gripped tight onto Buffy's shoulders. The pain came in pointed burning waves before everything started to blur. She watched as the moon faded into the stars and her eyes started to droop and it was all slipping away. Then she felt something wet touch her lips.

Buffy watched with a grin as Dawn grabbed her wrist and sucked her blood down in earnest. It only took a few moments for the girl to pass out completely against the rocks. Buffy licked her lips and stood over her thinking her blood tasted just as she always thought it would: sweet, innocent, and just a little bit spicy.

She listened in the night air as Dawn's heart started to slow.

_Thump-thump._

_Thump-thump._

_Thump. Thump._

_Thump._

Then there was nothing and the human girl, the key created by the monks, the whiney teenager, Dawn -was dead.

Dawn the vampire was on the rise.

Buffy looked up at the side of the mountain and sighed. "Oh good. I've always wanted to go rock climbing."

* * *

"You know, they say a watched pot never boils."

"Thanks for your input." Buffy glared at the bed where Spike and Dawn both lay. Spike was still out from the spell and Dawn had yet to show any signs of life…unlife. "What do you want Angelus?"

"What are you gonna do about that gypsy with my soul? You were gonna give her Dawn right?"

"Yeah well plans change. She was supposed to agree to change and lose her soul anyway. Or get her soul taken out and then agree. Not nose dive off a cliff."

"I guess she's just spunky like that." He walked into the room blocking her view of the bed with his extremely wide body. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Why do I have to do anything?" She looked from him to the lighter in her hand as she held a cigarette to her lips, trying –but not that hard- to ignore the thoughts of throwing it at him. Poof goes Poofy. "It's your soul."

"Well unless you want my cotton candy half joining in-"

"You make you sound so yummy."

"Listen here cupcake," Angelus slammed both hands into the chair she sat, trapping her in between his beefcake arms.

"Cupcake?" She blew smoke in his face. To which he ignored. "Cotton candy? You have a sweet tooth or something? Candy cravings?"

"You're all the sweet I need." His fangs dropped down and she pretended to swoon with a hand on her heart making him dig his hands into the chair with impatience. "Now you said you were gonna deal with it so you deal with it. I'm not going down that road again. You are not gonna be the reason that pathetic fruit cake shoves me back down."

"Don't worry." Buffy shoved her stick in her mouth and slammed out both hands, shoving his arms away with such strength that the arms to the chair actually broke with it. She stood up against him while he was stuck holding cloth chunks in both hands. "We have plenty of other humans for her."

"Yeah right." He threw the cloth on the ground and went off on another bout of sarcasm, his fangs sliding back into his mouth. "Like the former vengeance demon and the evil witch and the pathetic halfwit. She'll have pick of the lot!"

"Or we could just give her Cordy."

He snapped back to her with a glare that rivaled her own. "No way. She'll be no fun with no soul."

"Fine but Spike won't give up Xander either."

"Red's better half?"

"Cotton candy half?" She smirked and he frowned even more, if that were possible.

"Shut up."

"I was gonna use her for something."

"Just figure it out." He stomped towards the door but turned when he reached it. "And stop moping around. You're worse than platinum and he ain't even conscious. If you want something to do while he's out-" He wiggled his eyebrows and bit his lip, his hips rolling forward suggestively. "Someone-"

The move brought a smile to her face but she still rolled her eyes and fell back into her chair to finish her light. "Pass."

* * *

Buffy had time to herself to fill. Spike and Dawn were still out. Dawn was taking extra long because her body was healing itself so the demon wouldn't wake up broken and Spike was just being frustrating. Days passed with no change in either and it was seriously getting ridiculous. She was getting so antsy and it made her so bored!

Her first stop was Willow.

"Buffy?"

She smiled at the quaking figure, curled up in the corner of her room. All the humans did that, curled up in the corner. It didn't make it any less entertaining to see it. "Spike's still not up yet. I'm sure you were going to ask."

The panic was quick to cross the witch's face as she realized what that meant for her, or for Tara rather. "The spell- it's the spell."

"Yeah, yeah I get that." Buffy walked into the cell, running a hand over the wall and noticing the small chips made by a pair of fingernails trying to rub off the painted-on spells. The girl didn't listen but she tired. Oh it was so pathetic. She continued to run a hand over those indents while adding on something that would really get the witch's blood pumping. "Though I am inclined to knock out Tara until he comes around. Technically his heart isn't beating so-"

"No!" It did the trick. Her heart thumped loud and continued to press on with the adrenaline fueling her fear. "I promise. He'll wake up. It just takes time."

"Time, time, time." She sighed and spun back from the wall, pouting for her entertainment in the moment. "I guess I have a lot of that. You don't really though do you?"

Willow's panting tripled in pace and she used the wall to lean her head back as she closed her eyes and gritted with closed teeth, "You won't kill me. You won't win."

"Relax!" Buffy literally laughed. "I'm not going to kill you. I guess I'm just saying that cus I'm bored. I'm sure you've been wondering why you haven't been touched. There's a reason. No need to worry. We need you in tip top shape. I wonder what that means...Tip top shape. Where does the tip come from?"

"Why?"

"I'm curious. Is it tip like tippity top? That would make sense. But why not just say tippity top shape. It sounds more fun."

"No. Why do you need me?"

"Are you complaining?" Buffy snapped to her with her hand on her hips and they met eyes though her companion didn't say a word. Just an intense staring contest that the human put a stop to by dropping to the floor. "I didn't think so."

"How's Tara? Is she okay? Have you hurt her?"

"Oh yeah Tara. She put out the fires fine. All safe in her room in tippity top shape. See that is more fun."

"What are you going to do with us?"

Buffy's answer came in the form of a fist colliding with her face. It did come out of nowhere but there was only so much hostility she could repress.

She said tip top shape but that didn't mean she couldn't knock her out once in a while. No harm. Mostly. Well, she would live and it was getting really hard not to strap her down and have a go with that knife.

Buffy visited the others as well, taking out a bit of frustration on each of them, even paying attention to Anya in the basement. Cordy was back with Angelus and he only let her visit once but it was fun going back and forth between Xander and Anya and relaying the messages.

"Xander wishes he were dead." and "Anya keeps asking for you. She keeps thinking you'll find a way out. You keep disappointing her."

She steered clear of Tara and Willow. Tara would probably break with one blow and Willow was still unconscious from her last visit. When everyone else was unconscious too and Angelus was cooped up in Cordy's room she tried to go hunting but found herself distracted. After eating some father begging for his children's lives she ended up with her last resort: doing research. Something she really never thought she'd be doing again and yet something she knew would help her in the end.

* * *

Buffy was practically banging her head on the wall with her impatience when someone came barging into her bedroom. She looked up from the TV to see her sister smirking, her hands on her newly healed hips, and a smile on her new vampire face.

"Hey there sis." She smiled wider and her fangs fell down as her eyes shifted gold and she showed off her new face.

"Hey there little sis." Buffy slipped out of her bed and walked around her, sniffing the air and finding no trace of blood, except for the dried bits left on her clothes. "How do you feel?"

"Like I should be killing something."

Buffy smiled as a new sense of pride filled her. The twinkle in her sister's eyes looked deadly and ready and dangerous. There was so much they would be able to do together. It took her so long to get here but it was so going to be worth it now that she had her sister forever.

"Well then let's go do that." She turned off the TV and rolled to her feet so they could head out without having to ask Angelus if he wanted to tag along. She wanted Dawn's first time to be with her and not have it ruined by the vamp with unnecessary control issues.

Dawn took in a deep breath as she followed her sister to the door and curled her neck around. "There are so many humans here. I can smell them. Hear them. Thumping away in their cages. It's like a party or something." She pushed her hands out and imitated the sound of a rage, poorly at best. "Dush-dush-dush-dush."

"Okay Dawn." Buffy held out a hand to shut her up.

"Oh! Can I eat one of them?"

"No Dawn."

"Oh come on." She whined and stepped in front of her, stopping their move towards the exit. "Just one. I promise. Then we can go hunting."

"You'll ruin your appetite if you eat someone now."

"Please!"

"Oh my god fine!" She couldn't help but laugh at how anxious Dawn was and how easily she caved. "Anya is just rotting away in the basement anyway."

"Thank you!"

"Yeah I'm the best. Go on."

She watched Dawn skip away and decided to see how Spike was doing, hoping that somehow he had changed because Dawn had. Like a vicinity thing. Like catching a cold or something.

Alas, he was still lying there when she walked in. Dawn's spot was vacant and his shuffling had managed to ruffle his arm and head a bit but it wasn't him moving. He was still dead but not alive.

She walked around for a moment, sticking around just in case he decided to pop up in those few seconds. After a few moments she ended up talking out loud to him, something she had been avoiding doing because she knew it would make her seem crazy.

"So Dawn changed. She looks great. Which is good. I was a little worried she would wake up paralyzed. I don't know how those things work. I thought we were gonna have to break out your old wheelchair for a moment there." She laughed and looked over at his unconscious form, hitting herself on the head. "Oh god I'm talking to you like a coma patient or something. You can't even hear me can you? Angelus probably can. Dawn can now too. Eh, they're too busy. She's eating Anya, he's eating or doing or whatever he does. I don't like to ask. All that's missing is you and we can get this ball rolling. Finally." She groaned but still he made no signs of having heard. This was just getting ridiculous. She didn't have patience before and she didn't have it now. "Seriously I'm going to start pouring cold water on you. Hello? I've got an onion blossom! And beer! No? Nothing? Well I tried." She walked back towards the door deciding to wait for Dawn back in her own room so she wouldn't crazy talk to herself anymore, unable to resist just one more bit that she muttered so the other vamps wouldn't hear. "Just un-die soon. Or I'll kill you."

* * *

"Dawn?" Anya looked very confused as Dawn crept down the stairs in the dark, shuffling over to her. "Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me."

"What are you doing here? How did you get out? Where are the others?"

"I'll tell you later okay." Dawn smiled at her to let her know it would be okay and dangled the key she swiped from Buffy's side.

Relief flooded Anya at the sight and she allowed her first small smile in weeks. "Is Xander okay?"

"Yeah. He's still stuck. Just let me get you out of these."

She started to undo the cuff connecting her to the stones when Anya pulled back at the sight of her hands working the locks open. "Wait. I thought you burned your hands. They wouldn't have healed this fast."

"Um…" Dawn shrugged and continued to release one of her arms, moving to the other. "Buffy let Tara heal me."

"Oh. Okay." Anya accepted easily and shrugged at a pain in her shoulder. "Well then how did you get out?"

"I picked the lock."

"With what?" Anya asked excitedly, ready to leave this hell hole and save her hubby to be. "I've been trying and nothing will work so I thought about distracting one of them when they come to feed me but nothing is working. Apparently my kicking isn't that great and-

"Oh my god!" Dawn cracked much easier under her rambling than normal, finding herself not caring in the slightest that she yelled and actually taking some pleasure in the act now that she could. She had planned for an entire escape charade where she let Anya think they were safe outside and then pummel her to the ground but god how could she forget the insistent self-centered monologue that always attached itself to this girl?! It was infuriating before but with the migraine she had forming from her blood lust she seriously couldn't take a minute of it. Or well not even thirty seconds. "You just can't let anyone have fun can you? You always have to talk and talk and talk and over-explain. Would you just shut up?!"

"Fun? What part of this is fun?" Anya grabbed her wrist down, pushing the cuff out the rest of the way, and started to rub the raw skin there, a few other places also calling out to her since Buffy's visit. "I believe you have yourself confused."

"I'm too thirsty for this." Dawn muttered to herself and rolled her eyes, shifting quick and jumping forward, tackling the human to the ground. Her demon cheered inside and she felt a burn that crowded out all other sensations including the sound of Anya's screams. The human's head was slapped to the side with one wave and Dawn clamped her fangs into the skin feeling the blood shoot out of the artery and to the top of her mouth, her body thrumming and pleasure cascading from the taste of it all.

* * *

Out on the streets behind the mall the two vampire sisters were inspecting a group of the late night shoppers. They weren't really there to shop. They were just loiterers that made easy prey.

"Who do you want Dawnie?"

"All of them."

"Look at you being all ambitious and stuff."

"Yeah look at me." Dawn smiled cutely, tilting her head to the side and popping her shoulder. "I know them. That girl pushed me into my locker every day. Those are her goons."

"Well you can have first go at her. I'll hold the others off. Not that it'll be hard."

"Let me say hi first."

"Go ahead."

Buffy watched as Dawn walked up to the group, flipping her hair and stealing one of their drinks. They all glared at her as she leaned against one of their cars and she popped the top of the beer onto the ground.

"Hey guys."

"Um what do you think you're doing?" One of the girls spoke up, her hands on her hips and her face as bitchy as it could get.

"Hold on," One of the guys leaned in, his eyes squinting in the dark. "Is that you Summers?"

"Creepy freak Summers?" The girl Dawn pointed out for pushing her into the lockers shook her head and looked her up and down again as if it was taking precious seconds away from her life. "No way."

"No. It is." The guy chuckled and switched cars so he was now leaning right next to Dawn, getting a better look at her stretched out body. "Wow Summers you clean up nice."

Dawn had on the outfit Buffy made her wear out to the club. She couldn't exactly check herself out in the mirror of the car but she remembered how good it looked on her when she last saw it. "I know."

"What are you doing here?" The bitch-face girl spoke again. "Just because you threw on something that doesn't make you look like a librarian doesn't mean you're not still a nerd."

"I actually came for you." Dawn smiled cheekily at the locker pushing bimbo and tipped her bottle in her direction before taking in a couple of gulps, finally getting a taste of beer. She had to hide her face from coiling back in disgust. Beer didn't actually taste all that good.

"What?" Locker-pushing-bimbo laughed and flipped her hair to the side, a very Cordy-like trait Buffy thought. "Me? Why? I don't want to talk to you."

"Oh I'm not here to talk." She gave the girl another sweet and tight smile before gulping down another bit of beer. Anya's taste was still lingering in her mouth but that didn't make her any less thirsty. "I'm here to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"Thank all of you really." She gestured to the group and stoop up straight allowing her body to lose any bit of its weak, shy nature so she could start to show her true colors. "It was a combined effort. You made every day of high school a new kind of hell for me. And believe me, in my family, we know what hell is. So thanks for the locker pushing and spreading those rumors about me having a tail and oh! That time you got everyone to dump their lunches on me, at the same time. Way to go team! Great job!"

"Is there a point?"

Dawn smiled again at locker-pusher and looked up at the sky in mock consideration before dropping her golden eyes down and smiling even wider as her fangs descended. "Two actually."

The group of five, three girls and two guys, all screamed and started to run so Buffy cut them all off and had them running back in the opposite direction. In this town she wasn't exactly worried about the runaways but she wanted Dawn to eat who she wanted.

Dawn was too busy to notice the kids running away. She was occupied holding down locker-pusher by her hair as she slammed her beer bottle against the car and brought the sharp shard of an end to her throat, cutting across and lifting her to her mouth. As she gulped down she knew she was getting more than a bit all over her face but as she soaked in the taste of revenge she couldn't really care.

Bitch-face got stuck gaping as Dawn killed the other girl so Dawn gave her an extra wide smile before punching her so hard in the jar that her neck snapped with the force of it. It was really a lucky shot but it worked for her so she turned and chased after the two boys that ended up running together and cornered them against a distant wall.

"Please! Please don't!"

"No, no, no, no, no."

"Awww." Dawn pouted in front of them, both hands on her hips as she looked them up and down. "Well I'll tell you what. Since you said I looked nice I'll let you get a head start." She nodded to the boy on the left. "But you should watch out for my sister." Dawn leaned back just in time for them to see Buffy launching herself at the third girl and tackling her to the ground, rolling and screaming -before the fangs sunk in.

The boys looked at each other in horror before running off. Just as she promised, Dawn went for the quiet boy and passed Buffy who waved and pointed towards the other one running. Dawn waved back and started chasing after her catch as Buffy went after the other runner.

Buffy's boy took a turn down one of the empty streets. As she ran and pushed the world behind her, coming closer and closer, she tripped. Okay that wasn't right. She didn't trip. She was tripped by someone and her face was smacked into the side of the building.

"You went hunting without me." She heard the growl in her ear but she didn't register whose voice it belonged to until she was already slamming her fist into his face.

"Spike?"

She felt a fist crush back into her jaw sending her right back into the building. Angry, she used the wall to support her weight and kicked him square in the chest causing him to stumble back and glare at her. He pounded forward towards her only to be caught by his leather duster and slammed around into the brick himself. He used her trick and kicked against her sending her tripping flat on her back.

He started to run after her again but she curled her body and thrust her legs up sending him flipping on his back and she rolled up on to her feet. He curled around before she could land a kick in his shoulder and pushed up to his feet. They both spun so they were facing each other and Spike was first to punch, be blocked, and get punched before landing one of his own in her side.

Getting really fed up with it she took all the energy she had running through her and charged full speed knocking her shoulder into his gut and jumping on top of him as he skidded on the pavement. She heard him grunt from the excess slayer power coming into close range with his internal organs and when she reeled back a fist to hit him across the jaw he was lifting his head up to glare at her with yellow eyes, his growls coming from behind sharp pointy teeth.

"You're a vampire."

"Were you drinking the drunkards?!" He lifted a hand to the back of his head, feeling around for any blood from the impact. "Of course I'm a bloody vampire!"

"Then why did you hit me?!"

"You hit me first!"

"You are just so- "

"Unbelievably punchable?! I gathered that a few years ago!"

"Would you shut up?!"

"Would you stop aiming for my face?!"

"You are so god damn annoying!"

"Me?! You are-" He shut right up when Buffy bit him.

Her mouth came down so hard on his that the teeth were completely accidental but it was just so good to hear him arguing and fighting and up and un-dead, completely not corpse-like. His fangs bumped into her as she moved her lips to the right position and his arms grabbed hers and pulled her down to the ground with him.

He moved his hand to the back of her neck and kept the other on her bicep when she fell completely on him, keeping her from falling all the way to the damp ground. She pulled her fingers through his hair and kept the other locked in his jacket to stabilize herself as the rage from their mini-fight fueled her lips. They both crashed into each other at some point between the ground and teeth, moving so harshly into each other it wasn't long before the teeth came back in play.

Grunts came from both as he pulled on her neck tighter, his tongue diving in between her lips and pushing into her mouth. She met him there and tilted their heads together better so she could fit hers in his. Their bodies jolting from the actions had her pressing down harder, grinding down on him and he reached her lower back to help her along, forgetting the road burn he was already dealing with. It was just as his hand was slipping into her hair that they were regretfully interrupted.

"I caught that guy you let go and oh-" Dawn stopped licking the blood from her fingers at the sight of her sister straddling Spike under the streetlamp. "I see you guys are busy." Dawn chuckled as Buffy moved to a sitting position looking very pissed off. "Hi Spike."

"Little Bit." He saluted, still stuck under Buffy with a half dazed expression stuck on his face. "Nice fangs."

"Yours look pretty nice too."

"Hey!" Buffy jumped up in one elegant move so she could block the horny look on her sister's face. "Back off."

"Fine. But it's your fault. I died a virgin. I need to start making up for that."

"My fault? I didn't push you."

"Whatever." Dawn rolled her eyes in that way that was just so Dawn and pointed towards downtown. "Let's go to the Bronze. There were more people in my grade I would like to thank."

"I never realized high school was so bad for you." Buffy pouted as she caught Dawn licking her lips again.

"You wouldn't have cared."

"I would have. I had a soul."

"Well you don't now so why do you care?"

"Good point. Let's go back. We can take you to the Bronze tomorrow. If you fill up too much you won't be able to drink for a week."

"Okay Mom." Dawn dropped her head in disappointment before popping it right back up again. "Can we find some demons to fight too? I want to try out these auto-ninja skills."

"Sure we can do that." Buffy laughed and grabbed Dawn's arm to try and stop the attempts at auto-ninja she was making. "Spike are you gonna lay down there with your mouth open all day or are you coming?"

"I'm- Right."

At the mansion Buffy pointed Dawn towards Xander so she could have something to do and inform him of what had happened that night to both herself and his fiancé who went the way of Juliet. Or more like Tybalt.

Spike was awkwardly glancing back at his room and at Buffy so she took pity on him and when Dawn was down the hall added, "Come to my room."

His eyebrow raised and his smirk was automatic. "You gonna punch me again?"

"I might. You'll just have to see."

Buffy slammed her back against her door as soon as she closed it, a new thrill running through her body. She probably looked a mess from the fight and she wasn't prepared for this! She didn't know he would wake up yet! She didn't know she would kiss him and then invite him to her room! Sure, at some point, but this was not exactly what she was thinking. It was going to be much more of him taken by surprise than her tripping and slamming her face.

Okay she just needed to shut up and wipe that big smirk off her face.

She dove for her closet and chucked off all her clothes at the same time rummaging through the mess naked in order to find something suitable to wear. It wasn't every day that your former sworn enemy-turned puppy-turned babysitter-turned mentor-turned evil-turned sidekick-turned human-turned dead-turned whatever the fuck he was now, was invited to your room in the wee hours of the night. Now that she thought about it, Spike did have it pretty rough. He was definitely kicked around a lot. But she refused to apologize for making him evil again and doing…whatever the fuck she was about to do. Fuck! What to wear?!

She finally found it, tucked away in the bottom of a pile of new buys. The lingerie was red, apparently her new favorite color, and tiny, as all lingerie should be. The piece covered her torso, held up by straps, with the important bits covered in solid soft fabric while the rest was done in sheer. It was a one piece with the thong connecting through to the top in the middle of her body, a shiny circular piece in the middle holding them both together. She thought about throwing on a robe over it or strapping on her leather boots but before she had a chance there was a knock on her door.

With a final adjustment done to her tits she ruffled her hair and assumed she looked alright because it wasn't like she could check. She would just have to gauge based on Spike's reaction. Which was priceless.

When she opened the door he was leaning against the wall with a smug smile, his jacket gone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. That smug look quickly dropped as his mouth fell open and his eyes bugged out at the sight of her. Good, that was at least good then.

She waited for him to say something with a smug smile, on her face now, until her eyes roamed to his other hand holding a bouquet of flowers. She smiled and gestured to the flowers with her eyes, trying to bring his back up her body instead of just the middle. "Those for me?"

"Yeah well," He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to bring himself back to life…again. "You said you weren't easy so here. Doing the whole courting thing. Though at the look of you I'd say you were lying."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hands and he placed the flowers in them. She brought them to her nose, inhaling the scent only fresh flowers could bring and more that any human would not be able to understand. She gently lifted one out of the bundle and twirled it between her fingers. "Roses?"

His eyes continued to roam her body as he nodded his head, finally remembering he needed to speak. "Blood red and dangerous. Beautiful but the thorns can pack a punch. Made me think of you."

He finally met her eyes as she walked closer, throwing the bundle to a nearby table and twirling the separated rose in front of her face . When close enough to him she rose to her tip toes and gently led the flower over his cheek, up to his temple, and down again –slicing one of the thorns into his cheek leaving an angry line of blood dripping behind. She leaned in further, tilting his head and licking the mark tasting the spicy blood inside, just a bit bitter from the dark magic still lingering around.

"I love them."

He looked down at her with a smile that she hadn't seen in far too long followed by a wiggle of the brows. "You're gonna pay for that. No one touches the face and gets away with it."

"What are you gonna do?"

He grabbed her quick, tucking his hands under her legs and lifting her off the ground, his fingers digging into the flesh of her bare ass -a happy gasp in surprise escaping her. She grabbed his shoulders as he slammed her into the back of the door -closing it- and instantly found her lips with his, taking no time in thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Fingers dug up his shoulders and into the skin of his neck -the flower dropping- as she pushed his hips into hers with her ankles, the heated budge coming from his erection running directly against her center, the thin fabric of her thong the only thing keeping the rough fabric of his jeans from rutting against her.

Nails bit down into her flesh as he pulled her closer, rolling his hips against her and making her gasp for breath. She fumbled against the wall with one hand, pushing against it so he would get the hint to move this party to more accessible locations. He pulled her back, refusing to let her touch the ground, and dropped her onto her bed standing just over her with her legs hanging off the side.

She let him kiss her only a few moments more, her human teeth pulling at his bottom lip until she had the control and she could push him up. When standing she looked up at him with dark eyes, the lust inside her body pushing all thoughts from her mind as she watched his lips part as her hands trailed across his buttons and up his middle. Instead of messing around with those she simply dug her fingertips in the gaps and pulled, the buttons flying to the ground and the shirt falling to his elbows.

"I liked that shirt."

"You'll get over it."

He chucked the rest of his ruined shirt off and pushed her back into the bed, scratching his fingers under her arms and finding her wrists, pinning them up behind her head with a grunt of protest. He kept her hands pinned tight and knelt on the bed, looking over her splayed out body. "Let's get a proper look at this then." A back painted finger trailed over her chest and down a taut breast, following the line of her lingerie and caressing just outside the extra sensitive pink flesh, falling down her center –around the metal circle, and down to her thong. "Fancy pair of knickers, slayer." His finger started to trail back up, her back now arching wherever it touched. "Always knew you'd own something naughty." He circled her other breast and sent his finger back down again. "Too bad." His finger hitched in the metal ring and he tore the sheer apart, twirling his piece around his finger before flinging it across the room.

Her body arched with the sudden move, a gasp and a smile crossing her lips. Before he could come down again she reached for the top of his black tank and dug in her nails, ripping as hard as she could until it tore down the middle. With his chest now bare she could run those nails over his pecks and across his nipples, noting the sudden pull in his hips when she did so. Her fingers danced across his six-pack until she reached the band of his jeans and she dug them inside, knocking him off balance enough so she could throw him the rest of the way on the bed.

Now straddling him she could tear off that pesky belt but as soon as she whipped that thing across the room he was pulling her back down to his mouth, her lips pliantly curving into his. The pads of his fingers worked their way up from around her hips to under the ripped top half of her outfit until he had it bundled near the base of her shoulders and she had to break free of his teeth in order to lift her arms. As soon as that was torn away she slid her body back against his, her bare chest rubbing against his flesh, now the right level of warmth. Not too hot, not too dead, just vampire enough for her.

His fingers traced the parts of her back he was never allowed to touch before, fingers roughly pressing below her shoulder blades and down her spine, his fingers ultimately curling around her ass once again. While he played with her skin she played with his, her mouth disconnecting from his so she could rest her forehead against him and see the button of his jeans coming undone between her fingers. When they finally got undone they were both tearing at them to come down, her head automatically flinging to his ear when she had a chance. "Commando?"

"Always." He flipped their positions and lined his body along her center, his hand rolling on her inner thigh, teasing her, as his mouth jumped to her neck and his human teeth clamped into her skin –biting and sucking down. Her hands jumped to his back, her body arching up into him, her nipples pressing up into his chest and causing another moan to be let loose. With her moan came an extra hard bite and his hand slipped from inside her thigh to the last fabric on her body. He curled it into his fist and pulled the rest of it away, breaking the straps on either side and chucking the thong off the bed.

Her hands fell down his back and over his firm ass as his free erection could now pulse between her folds. She ground up into him, bending her legs more to get better leverage, and he met her pace, switching the side of her neck he was biting. Her fingers kneaded deeper into him, trying to pull him faster so she could maneuver him into her. He refused to let it happen and though he was becoming slicker and slicker by her excitement he stayed just between her folds, teasing her clit. After a few more moments of teasing and biting she let out a whimper that had him chuckling, his mouth moving down her chest, his member moving from her body, so he could lick his way down to her sensitive nipples.

"Spike-" She gasped when he brought a bud gently between his teeth, his tongue darting out to tease her more. "Spike- stop."

"Stop what pet?" He sucked her flesh in again and she pulled down hard, his arms buckling from her strength, but not enough to make him lose track of what he was doing.

"Stop teasing. Just- just- seriously."

"Oh. I'm just getting started." He smirked up at her flustered expression and switched breasts, his hands trailing back to her center, a thumb circling around her clit and a finger trailing between her inner folds.

"Spike-" She whimpered again when his finger dipped inside her body, trailing a wet path back up to his thumb. "I've been worked up since I can't even remember. Just come on."

"Oh," He trailed his mouth back up to her ear, whispering next to her in a hoarse growl. "I can come on you if you want. But first I'll have you begging for it. And if you think you're begging now? You have no idea what begging is. I'll have you screaming my name before you even have a reason to. You'll be-hey!"

She couldn't wait for that a moment longer and used her hands to flip him on his back, her legs quickly straddling his middle. The soft head of his long cock bounced on her inner thigh and she easily batted his hands down to his stomach with one hand as she used the other to line him up. With a hitched gasp she sank down on him and her body coiled with the pleasure she felt at being filled.

Any argument Spike had died on his lips as she started to rock. Soon that rocking picked up speed and she let Spike's arms go so she could push off his stomach, his hands jumping for her waist to guide her as he thrust into her moves. In a quick time she found the move where her clit and g-spot were rubbed just right with every stretch and Spike's gasps were getting louder and louder, driving her to move faster and faster as his thumbs dug deep circles into her side and her fingers dug into his.

She was moaning his name and his mouth had fallen open when she could feel her pleasure peaking, her body lifting to that desired elevation, her hips jolting with the oncoming orgasm. She looked down at Spike, her mouth moving with only moans coming out and suddenly his arm was in front of her face.

"Bit me-"

"Mm-what?" She was pulled from her state a bit at the odd request but her hips continued to rock.

"Do it." Spike's demanding tone had her shifting and her body picking up pace again as she grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm closer. It only took a few more rocks for her body to catch up to her former state and she was almost at her peak again, this time her eyes meeting the veins holding the blood that fed the vampire beneath her. She slashed a fang across the inside of his arm and drank – her body exploding instantaneously.

The blood was almost too much as it flooded over her tongue and her inner demon jumped with the usual pleasure that came from drinking. Her waves of pleasure were already on the verge of too much so that just made them spill over quicker, higher than she had every felt them go. Her toes curled and her fingers scratched and she practically screamed into his arm as her body constricted around him.

As soon as her wall closed around him he was following her orgasm with his own shouting her name up at her as he felt her lips suck at his new wound. His body pulsed within her for a few moments until she let his arm go and fell on top of him, her legs stretching out and her human face returning.

"Well that was…" It felt like her body was completely spent, having found something it had been longing for for far too long and completely done now that it had. The smile wouldn't leave her as she curled her head under his chin and breathed in the sent of the quick and heated act they just performed. No, that was not what she had planned, but felt absolutely right. Maybe it was just the hormone high but she couldn't stop chuckling to herself about how silly she had been for not just doing this sooner. As she felt her body relax completely and form fit to his she could finally believe this was alright. He wasn't going to leave her. They were back to how they were supposed to be and she wouldn't have to live (unlive) without him. And this, oh this was going to happen a lot. Now that she had him in her arms, she wasn't going to let him go again. "Yeah."

He smiled at her head and wrapped his arms around her body, the dream of this becoming a reality for him actually coming true. Sure it wasn't the rough –I'm going to kill you, let's fight to the death- kind of angry sex he had pictured but this worked for him. In fact, it was perfect. He curled a hand through her hair, sorting the strands back into place and untangling a few loose ones from a nose stud with a chuckle. She amazed him in ways he would never fully understand and never had he loved her more for it. "Yeah."

They laid there for a few moments with their bodies wrapped around each other and eyes closed but it was still the middle of the night, the sun had yet to come close to rising, and they were not ready for sleep just yet.

"You got any smokes?" Buffy nodded against his chest and rolled off his body, reaching for the pack and a lighter, lighting them both one and handing one over to Spike.

After a few moments of smoke filling the air and Buffy's head resting against his shoulder, she just had to ask, "How can vampires even have sex? I mean we don't have a beating heart or anything. I failed biology but still. We're supposed to be dead. Is that necrophilia?"

"I don't know. Demon or something. Don't think too much about it."

"Alright."

"Sorry about your piece by the way." He gestured towards a piece of red sheer torn off and dangling off the bed. "I'll have to pick you out a new one. With much less showing of course."

"Of course. Not sorry about your clothes by the way."

"You know," He smirked, reaching over and tossing his ruined tank at her face. "You got control issues you do."

"Are you critiquing me?"

"Just saying. Should let someone else be the one in charge for once. You saved the world, you died, and now you're out to take it back. Gotta save some room for yourself. Let someone else carry the load."

"And by load you mean…"

"Exactly."

"You are so a pig."

"You like it."

She looked over the pillow at him and rolled her eyes, focusing back on her cigarette and twirling it in her fingers. "I'm glad you're not dead. Well not dead dead. Obviously you're dead. But you know- not dead."

"Daisy pushing didn't really seem all that fun."

"Well you seem to have a knack for flowers." She reached over and picked up the loose rose that fell from her hand to the floor and he picked it from her, trailing the soft petals over her still sensitive body.

"You really are beautiful." She shivered as the velvety feel crossed the sore spot on her neck. "The things I want to do to you."

"I have time."

"Only if you beg."

"Promises, promises."

Spike didn't really end up getting that turn he wanted in control. As soon as the petals of that rose slipped over her belly button and down her extra touchy center she was off and he was soon to follow until another round of heated passion took them over, followed by another. They didn't really mind the fast fucks in the night until they were both too exhausted to move and needed a beer break.

They both chucked on clothes, Spike in his jeans and torn button down – minus the buttons- and Buffy chucked on a skirt and some shirt without any annoying straps. Of course there was some making out in the halls, touches and remarks made to point out her lack of underwear, that had them laughing as they made for the refrigerator with the beer stored inside. That laughing soon stopped when Buffy turned the corner and saw who was standing in front of it.

"What the fuck is she doing here?!"


	25. Whirlwind

There stood Drusilla, blocking her way to the beer and smiling coyly over at Spike who was…was he smiling? Didn't matter. The punch she sent to his open gut had him stopping and sputtering, "What'd you do that for?!"

"Drusilla?!"

"Well, I didn't invite her!"

"I did." Angelus slipped into the room, diving straight for the couch and sprawling out like always.

"Well okay then," She turned to Angelus. "What the fuck is she doing here?!" Dru caught her attention as she slinked over to Spike and ran a hand down his exposed chest, tickling him with her nails. Buffy had to really concentrate so her fangs wouldn't descend and she wouldn't snap that head off her puny shoulders like a dandelion.

"My bad, bad boy found his way back. No more metal tinging in your head." Dru poked his temple harshly but he wasn't pulling away, pissing Buffy off more.

"Dru dear, stop touching him. He's no longer yours. And the slayer will throw quite the temper tantrum. From what I understand," Darla popped up from the stairs, "-she pushed her sister off a cliff just yesterday."

Buffy turned to face the new not-welcome vamp with a whole new anger in her chest and screamed, "What the fuck is _she_ doing- holy shit."

"You're huge!" Spike was the one yelling, his face scrunched up in the confusion everyone felt.

"Thanks. That's just what I love to hear." Darla ignored them all and moved to the open chair so she could settle her pregnant self in.

"How's that even-"

"I don't know."

"Hey," Dawn came slinking into the room. "I heard yelling and- What are they doing here?!" She looked harder and the inevitable slipped out, "Holy shit."

"Is there an echo in here?" Buffy asked the room as she took another look at the mess of far too many vampires with far to long lasting histories. "What are they doing here?"

"Angelus called." Dru spoke, moving away from Spike and towards Darla. "Wind wiped out his soul and brought us back to Kansas. We are a family again. My dear William, daddy, grandmother, and uncle."

Everyone stared as Dru started to pet Darla's stomach, putting her ear up against it like she was listening for the baby's heartbeat, rubbing her cheek against the bumb. "She keeps insisting it's a boy. I don't care. I don't want it."

"Then get rid of it!" Angelus piped up from the couch.

"I tried! Nothing will get rid of this thing!"

"That's not my fault!"

"It kind of is!"

"Oh my god." Spike gasped. "Did you knock her up?"

"Shut up." Angelus growled the same time Darla did.

"When?!" Spike didn't stop. "How? I mean, was it all the traditional roll around or did you get some drunken witch mojo going?"

"I said shut up, moppet!"

"Did you just call me moppet?!"

"Hey, how bout you both shut up?!" Buffy screamed. "Why did you call them here?"

"What do you mean why?" Angelus jumped off the couch and spun to face them. "This one was pumping blood and then oh yeah, dead, while you were off moping with little miss sunshine over here-"

"Hey!" Dawn didn't get anything else out.

"The only reason I came here was to get something done. I'm tired of playing bench warmer. I wanna start the game already!"

"Yeah," Darla decided to join in. "What are you even doing? Playing house? Keeping a few pets and waiting out the days? That doesn't seem like much fun."

"No that's not-" Buffy was cut off.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"For these two!" Buffy pointed at Spike and Dawn, now both sighing out a 'hey' that were both ignored. "Look, I don't have to explain myself to prego and crazy. I have a plan and you were not in it."

"Mean halfbreed. Trying to tear us apart!" Dru suddenly launched herself at Buffy but was quickly stopped by Spike who jutted out an arm to pull her from the air.

"Easy there kitten."

Buffy turned to Spike who did not instantly drop his arm from crazy, "Call her kitten again and I'll really start a fight here."

"Can I say something?" Dawn started.

"Oh good, the baby can speak." Darla rolled her eyes and sunk back into her chair.

"Dawn just-"

"No." Dawn cut off Buffy with a hand, standing tall and taking part in one of the perks she was promised as a vamp. "You know what? I am talking. You all just need to shut up and listen because you're all being idiots. Leave the drama-rama for like two seconds. We're all vamps right? We all want the same thing. So why is it such a bad thing they're here and why do you guys have to be such bitches about it? Just everyone shut up and let's crush humanity like we all want, okay?"

"You know what? She's right." Buffy nodded. "The sun's up, I'm too tired to deal with this shit. I'm going to bed. _Alone_."

"Somebody's in the Spike-house." Angelus chuckled as Buffy stomped out of the room.

"My bed is made for two." Drusilla smirked and ran a finger over Spike's arm, still over her chest and shoulders, pouting when he looked over at her. "The sheets are red and soft. Like ribbons for your hair." Spike watched transfixed as her fingers trailed up his arm and to his head, running through the hair that was _not_ going to have ribbons in it.

"Wait...my bed has red sheets." Dawn glared. "You better not be using my bed!" She stomped out of the room and ran for her bed to make sure.

"You better follow her." Spike said, dropping his arms.

"My poor William." She ran her nails back over his cheek and down his neck. "The rose won't stay when the gypsy comes to play."

His mouth dropped open as he watched her eyes glaze over, unfocusing on her long nails pushing into his skin. "What do you mean?"

"I never liked gypsies."

"Dru?"

"They broke apart our family."

"Dru?" She didn't answer him. She just smiled, raised a brow, and left the room.

Spike sighed and faced the other two, shaking his head. "You lot- oh just shut it." He stomped back up to his own room, deciding to dive onto his bed and just sleep the day away. Alone, because apparently everything was always his damn fault.

"So, where's your room?" Darla smirked at Angelus when alone.

"Well yours is right here." He patted the couch as he got up.

"Yeah, I don't think so." She got up and started walking towards the place where his scent lingered most.

"Hold it there preggy. You are not sleeping in my bed."

"Look." She twisted around and poked a very strong finger into the middle of his chest, glaring up at him and stopping him in his tracks. "I don't want this kid anymore than you do but that doesn't mean I don't feel him. I'm tired, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, my feet hurt, my back is killing me, and all these humans are giving me a headache. If you don't move, this momma bear is going to rip a bed out of your chest. Sound good?" She didn't wait for him to answer as she stomped towards his room and he followed, still arguing.

"No. No sounds good. I hear no good sounds here!"

* * *

"Buffy."

"Ughhhhhmmmmhmmmm."

That was Dawn waking her up again. Just like old times. And just like old times she did not want to get up. She rolled back with the covers tucked around her and snuck her head under a pillow.

A few days had passed since the old team got back together. She wasn't happy about hat. No one really seemed happy about it.

Darla was extra hormonal and snapping at everyone, demanding blood and Thai food. Angelus was getting the blunt of her baby fits and he was not handling it too well, screaming and knocking everything and everyone to the ground in his tantrums -like the child he was. Drusilla was just like she always was -crazy- but on top of that she was pawing and teasing Spike. Spike was trying to play the innocent but Buffy could tell when his ex was getting to him and she did not like it, making her get into fights with him and Dru and pretty much everyone. Dawn also got into a fair few fights arguing with everyone about everything, especially her age and newborn status.

The fight between her and Dru was legendary over the room. Apparently Dawn had started throwing out some of Dru's stuff because it was on her bed and broke one of her dolls in the process. That made Dru extremely mad, threatening to poke out her eyes, and they started throwing punches, Angelus egging on by chanting 'cat fight'. Eventually Spike jumped in the middle and stopped it but she wasn't about to congratulate him for doing that.

The humans were the only ones quite.

Dru really was the worst for Buffy though. Never did she enjoy her company at any point in her former life and it was no different in her unlife. The soul did not matter. What mattered was that Dru kept making a point of being everywhere she was just so she could slide her body all over every inch of the idiot. That's what Spike was known as to her now. They had one good night and then this just had to happen and he just had to act like it was no big deal. Idiot.

"Spikey-" Spike was on the couch with the TV on his soap and a beer in his hands with Buffy giving the show a go from her chair. Dru was with him on the couch, her head rubbing over his neck and under his chin like she was some kind of cat, calling him by the name she knew annoyed him most. "We never play anymore."

"Go play with someone else Dru." Buffy glared at Spike from her chair. It wasn't a commercial. If she were the one to talk he would have ripped her head off. But no! Dru could talk all she wanted and he wouldn't do a thing about it. Because she was _Drusilla_ and she was _special_.

"I want to play with you."

"Maybe later."

"Halfbreed wouldn't like that." Dru giggled as Buffy turned to glare at her again.

"Would you stop calling me halfbreed?"

"Dru, play nice."

"It's not my fault she's covered in green."

"What does she even mean by that?" Buffy turned back to Spike who just shrugged. "Spike?"

"I don't know pet. Just ignore her."

"Yeah right."

"Green halfbreed."

"Oh my god! I'm leaving."

"Slayer!" Spike tried to call her but that was about all she could take and it just kept on going like that.

All of these fights and arguments and all that tension happened in the extreme close quarters of the mansion, just to make it worse. Even though the place was huge it wasn't all renovated and everyone liked to stick to the technological side. Buffy had a plan to fix that. If only it could have been fixed sooner.

Which was why Dawn was waking her up…by bouncing on her bed. She reached out and grabbed her ankle, sending her jumping sister down flat on her face next to her. Luckily, or unluckily, Spike wasn't there to break that fall. Buffy had been avoiding him and he was angry because she was avoiding him and it was just a big bunch of annoyance.

"Ow." Dawn huffed and pulled the pillow off Buffy's head making her hair fly all over the place, falling in her face. "Come on. You need to get up."

"I don't want to."

"If you don't then they'll leave without you. Do you really want Crazilla to be left alone with your man on a sexy and adrenaline pumping hunt?"

"He is not my man."

"Yes he is."

"No. Not if he keeps making googly eyes at her. I mean seriously. Should I be expecting a visit from Harmony next? I can't take that level of stupid with the rest of them out there."

"He won't call up Harmony. He hates her. She'll just show up on her own."

"Thanks. You really do know how to make a gal feel better."

"Well, gal, get up."

Buffy groaned but did as her sister said and got ready to meet the Vampy Bunch down the stairs. She knew she looked good, throwing on her favorite red tube top and mini skirt with the fishnets and boots. Spike would definitely see what he was missing in that. Dru could just eat her heart out. Literally actually. That would just be fine.

But she was _not_ jealous.

"Ready to go?" Buffy didn't wait for anyone to respond and instead led the way out the front door, grabbing Dawn as she passed. Darla and Angelus shared a look, Dru rolled her head, and Spike glared at the back of her body. Still, they all followed into the streets and listened as she talked.

"Dru, Darla, Angelus- take the streets, cops, and shops. Ooh, that rhymed. Find some that can be of use. No little kids unless they're snacks. Make sure you get the semi for later. Spike, Dawn, and I will take the Bronze. You can meet up with us there after you're done. Comprendé?"

"No way." Angelus shook his head. "I ain't going anywhere with gigantor."

"I will bite you." Darla glared with hands supporting her back.

"Well then switch with someone. I don't care." Buffy groaned looking at the sky. They only had so much moon here.

"You switch with the baby." Angelus said pointing towards Dawn.

"Hey!" Dawn went unheard again.

"You're the baby Angelus." Darla continued to glare.

"I want to be with Spikey." Dru pouted and Spike backed away with his hands up, ignoring the mocking nickname like he had been doing since she showed up.

"Hey, we're already in our dancing groups. Swing with who you got. I'll tango with the slayer." Spike winked at Buffy but she was too busy glaring at Dru to notice.

"Why can't-"

Dawn was cut off by a very pissed off Buffy. She passed her limit days ago. "The next person to complain is going back to babysit the humans! Okay? Everyone shutting their mouths now? Angelus, Spike and I will take the Bronze. Dru, Darla and Dawn will take the rest."

"Hey!"

"Shut up and go Dawn."

"Great now I'm stuck with Spikey." Angelus mocked Dru's mock and slumped over much like how Spike was slumped in his spot.

"I'm stuck with Poofy."

"Don't worry dear." Darla glared as Angelus switched with Dawn. "We don't need the boys to have fun. We'll go shopping."

"Ooooh." Dru swayed without need and rolled her body with a happy smile. "Girl's night!"

"Good. Boys," Buffy gestured towards the Bronze and started to walk. "Come."

"Oh I think she was calling you dog." Angelus knocked Spike in the shoulder and started to follow. "Better obey before she gets the shock collar out!"

"Oh yeah, keep on daddy dearest. We'll see whose wearing the collar when baby Angel pops outta momma."

"At least mine can swim."

"Mine swim just fine thanks. They just aren't defective soul bearing brats shoving their way into-"

"Soul bearing?!"

"Well whatta you expect? Goody-goody getting it off and getting the bint pregnant? That's a whole new breed of necrophilia."

"Well from what I understand you won't be getting anything off anytime soon. Not unless your dear Dru-"

"I can hear both of you!" Buffy shouted back at them and they continued their argument as they caught up to her.

They reached the Bronze in one piece, magically without killing each other, and Buffy directed them around as she entered the main doors, locking them behind her. Angelus came in the side door, shoving the teens from the alley inside. Spike took the top and locked the emergency exits, overlooking everyone from the balcony. It reminded her of their first mass murder they did together at the pizza shop, but she couldn't get all nostalgic just yet.

Buffy ran up to the stage where the band was singing some upbeat song about love or whatever and shoved all the members to the ground. The screeching of the guitars and the scream from the singer caused everyone inside to spin around and face her as she picked up the discarded mic and started to speak.

"Hello Sunnydale!" Of course that was just met with a lot of confusion. "I hope you're all having a good time, getting wasted or whatever it is the kids do these days. You probably don't know me, I'm Buffy. Hi. I come to you as your salvation!" The silence that met her cheer made that sound pretty lame. That was a bummer. Some cheers would have been nice.

"Oh don't use big words slayer." Spike yelled from above, causing everyone to snap their attention his way. "They won't understand."

"Fine." Buffy glared up as everyone snapped back to her. "Being our age sucks! Everything about it- homework, bullies, school, parents, boys, blah, blah, blah. It sucks major. So I'm going to make it not suck major. Dumb enough for you Spike?"

Spike just glared down at her so Angelus piped up. Well he didn't talk, he just snatched the closest girl to him and bit down into her neck, drinking her in a few seconds.

"Angelus!" Buffy snapped.

"What?!"

"Don't kill them."

"Well I gotta stock up. Can't go changing while running on air."

"Fine but watch what you eat."

"Yeah," Spike called down. "You've been looking a bit chunky in the thighs. Didn't want to say anything but now that it's out there-"

"I'm about this close to eating you!" Angelus pressed his fingers together and yelled up at him.

"Just try big boy."

"I apologize." Buffy said over the speakers. "They really are toddlers. The oldest toddlers ever. Boys, just stop your squabbling and start changing." Angelus and Spike rolled their eyes but shifted into their demon form and Buffy followed, making everyone watching gasp in fear. "Oh like you've never seen a vamp before. You're from Sunnydale! Home of the hellmouth! For god's sake. Just stay still and we'll try and eat you fast."

That sent everyone into a frenzy as they all started to scream and run towards the exits. Buffy sighed and dropped the mic, the screech from the feedback just adding to the noise. She tried to drown it all out and focus only on the smells surrounding her. Everyone was pumping blood extra fast and the fear was mixing into a cloud in the air and it was just intoxicating. Her tongue licked out across her fangs as she stood over the stage and took in the beautiful chaos.

The first victim for her was a teen. She was about 15, blonde, and honestly kind of looked like her. She must have had the same shirt or something. It didn't help that she was cowering into the corner with a red-head girl clinging her hand, a skinny guy trying to put an arm over the two of them and failing to show a brave face.

"Aw. Look how cute you all are." Buffy leaned forward and snapped the boy's arm away, grabbing the blonde and bringing her close. "I'll make sure to change you all. You'll be together." Her fangs sunk into the girl's neck and she sucked in the blood fast. The boy started to hit her but it was easy to keep him away with one hand. No one else was helping as the red-head was traumatized and everyone else was too busy trying to escape.

Just before she took the last of the girl's blood she ripped her fang over her wrist and put it to the girl's mouth. As she drank the boy got free and tried to pull her away but it was too late. The blonde in her arms fell to the ground and Buffy's gold eyes flashed to him. "Don't worry. You're next."

Angelus and Spike were having their own fun changing people. Angelus had a good system of jumping from door to door, picking off the back and throwing a few punches around -singing while he did so. Spike was grabbing a few here and there, tossing them over the edge when he was done with them, ignoring Buffy's shouts for him to stop breaking them. The number of conscious humans was decreasing at a quick pace as the screams continued to sound.

On the other side of town Dru, Darla, and Dawn were strolling up to the police station.

"I don't get why we even have a police station." Dawn said looking up. "They're never any use."

"Do you want to have some fun?" Darla asked with a smirk and Dru started dancing in place, clapping her hands.

"Oh yes please."

"Alright girls. Look of panic and let's go." Darla led the way inside and as soon as the doors were behind her she started to scream. "The baby's coming! It's coming right now!"

The officer behind the desk came running over, dropping beside Darla as she sank to the ground. "What's the problem?"

"Couldn't you hear her the first time?!" Dawn screamed, laughing on the inside. "The baby is coming right now!"

The guy started shouting names over his shoulder as more officers came in and Dru moved behind Darla, holding up her head as she pretended to huff and puff from labor pains. Dru also joined in the odd breathing pattern, just because she could. "Does anyone have any first aid training?!" Dawn screamed and the officers all took turns saying no.

"Only the basics." The first officer answered with a very enjoyable look of panic on his face. "Nothing like this!"

Darla gave a very ear piercing scream and Dawn shouted, "Is there anyone else here?!"

"No!" The guy screamed loud as Darla grabbed his hand and squeezed with supernatural power.

"Really?" Darla huffed. "Just you guys?" The guy nodded and she abruptly stopped panting. "Alright then." She dragged the guy down by his hand and shifted her face, sinking her fangs into his neck. The other cops shouted and whipped out their guns, much to Dru and Dawn's delight.

"On the ground!" One of the other cops shouted.

"Finally!" Dawn shouted back. "I get to do the kung-fu!" She lunged at the cop closest to her and without realizing how she was doing it she started to kick away his gun, sending it across the room. Dru ran forward and took another cop, throwing her body across the room, and lunged at the final, sinking her fangs in with a shout of glee.

Dawn blocked every move the guy threw at her and landed more than one of her own, her new strength surprising her as she kicked him over a desk –the desk following him. The smell of the blood from Dru and Darla's bites was messing with her mind as she pounded her knee into her prey and bit down into his neck. The blood pulsed out quick and it was Darla's shouting at her that kept her from killing him off.

"Not all of it!" Darla kicked her in the side and she whipped her head up as Dru came over, scratching her nail on the inside of Dawn's arm. "Let him drink."

"Drink, drink, drink, drink." Dru started chanting as Dawn put her open cut to his mouth and he started drinking. It didn't take him long for him to pass out on the floor.

"Come on girls. We can pick them up on the way back." Darla led the way back out the building and down the street towards the truck stop near the edge of town.

They were almost there, stopping in a few stores to steal a few things that caught their eyes -Dru liked shiny things- when a few bulky men came out of the dark, cutting them off. They were all surrounding the trucks, the drivers, walking towards them.

"You dolls lost?"

"No." Darla glared up at him.

"It's pretty late. You shouldn't be out alone." Another man came up on their other side.

"I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be in our way." Dawn said with a smile, making the men laugh.

"Eenie, meanie, miny, moe. Catch a naughty by his toe. If he hollers," Dru grabbed the nearest one by his ear and dragged him down as he screamed in pain from her unearthly grip. Darla grabbed the man in front of her by the throat and Dawn tried to grab another man but he was apparently too far away so she just tried to recover from her fumble and stand on her menacing own. "Eat him up."

The one held by Darla looked down at her hand and grabbed her arm, pulling her away –at least trying to. "Look lady. Just cus you're pregnant doesn't mean I won't hurt you."

"Oh please," She gripped him tighter and made him bend to her level. "I'd love to see you try." His neck was broken in a snap as Dru and Dawn attacked the other men. It was only a manner of minutes before they were drained and fed, unconscious on the ground.

"Are you gonna eat him?" Dawn asked pointing towards the dead trucker on the ground.

"No." Darla turned up a lip in disgust. "Have him."

Dawn quickly sank her fangs into the man's arm as Dru and Darla looked at the trucks in the lot.

Buffy, Spike, and Angelus were just finishing up the last members hiding away in the corners of the dance club when the semi-truck pulled through the front, the pregnant vamp at the wheel.

"Hey Dawnie." Buffy greeted her sister happily when she broke the Bronze's doors down, glad she had a distraction from the boys bickering about beer or whatever argument they were having now behind the bar. "You have fun?"

"Yeah." Dawn smiled and gestured towards the girls who were opening up the back. "I think they're growing on me. And look-" She pointed to her wrist. "I got a bracelet off one of the shopkeepers. Isn't it pretty?" She held up the sparkling tennis bracelet in the moon and Buffy nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright, start loading bodies." Buffy gestured towards the massive amount covering the floor behind her. "We had a full house tonight."

"Hey Buff-"

"You too Spike."

"Mmmm." Dru walked into the room and started to spin with her eyes closed, her arms raised towards the ceiling. "Their screams are delicious."

Buffy stomped over to the closest bodies to her and lifted them in her arms, dragging them back to the semi so she could load him in the back with the bodies already inside. She could see a few cop uniforms and a few extras they must have picked up along the way already inside.

"Slayer-" Spike popped up behind her with another body, following her inside even though she ignored him and left. "Hey, would you stop? What's with the cold shoulder here? I didn't even do anything."

"Right." Buffy stomped towards the stage as the rest started loading more in.

"Buff- Buffy!" He ran right after her. "Look, can we not do this macho tough girl act right now? Would you just tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me Spike."

"Oh really?" He stopped her from going backstage so she jumped right off and moved to the bodies in the corner. He jumped off right after her. "So you didn't shag and leave me then? Was that all that was? Just a one time _you're not human anymore_ celebration come and go?"

Buffy dropped the body in her arms in a huff and gave into glaring at him to his face. "You know it wasn't."

"Do I? Is it really all cus Dru is here?" He gestured to the dancing lunatic spinning to only the music she could hear over his shoulder. "I swear I didn't know Angelus was going to call them."

"It doesn't matter."

"Course it matters. You haven't stopped bitching since they've been here."

"Can you blame me?"

"Yes! If I haven't made it clear already, I chose you."

"Choose me? Please." Buffy looked around to make sure the rest of the vamps were busy loading while she was stuck pinned in the corner by the idiot. "You were with her for what? A hundred years? She's got a century over me Spike. Of course you're gonna go all puppy eyes for your _kitten_. God the nick names. What it must have been like to be around you. I feel bad for Angelus now."

"Me and Dru are done."

"That's what you always say. But you always get weak in the knees when she starts in cus you love the crazy. She turned you, she saved you, of course you love her."

He slammed a hand out against her shoulder and pinned her roughly to the wall, almost making her trip over the blonde from earlier. "I don't love her anymore."

"Well it would be pretty stupid of you to."

Spike let his arm drop and gave a predatory growl. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She left you for a chaos demon. I saw how pathetic you were. She left you a wreck. She's selfish and she obviously doesn't care-"

"Watch it."

"See! Look at how defensive you are! You're all huffy and stuff all cus I pointed out something you already know. You can't tell me you still don't have feelings for her."

"I don't have feelings for her."

"I don't have time for this." She shook her head and pushed his arm away so she could get back to the job at hand.

"Buffy-" He snatched her back as she tried to walk away, forcing her to turn on the spot to face him. "Do you even like me?"

She flinched at the pained look in his eyes and waited for him to say he was joking. "What do you mean, do I even like you?"

"What is this to you?" He pointed between them gesturing to the invisible connection between them. "Am I just wasting my time? Are you getting all in a huff over Dru over nothing or do you actually give a damn?"

"Spike-"

"No. I wanna know. What am I doing here?"

"No."

"No what?"

She audibly sighed in her frustration and his complete lack of understanding. "It's complicated."

"I'm dead. I have time. Try me."

Buffy sighed and doubled checked the other vamps again, all having their own arguments, dropping her voice so they wouldn't hear. "When I was human you asked me if there was- you said there was this thing between us. I mean, I knew there was something. Anger mostly. Annoyance. Maybe a bit of pity-"

"Move on."

"Right. So, well, I mean- I can't say there was never…nothing. I mean, I didn't like you. I liked you but not like that. You were this big murderer and I had a soul and you know…things don't mix."

"Do when you're with Angel."

"See! If you can get jealous over Angel why can't I over Dru."

"So you admit you were jealous!"

"Oh my god not the point!"

"Fine, go on then."

She shook her head again, frustrated she even had to explain herself. "So I had a soul and you were weird and it was weird. I trusted you though. With Dawn and stuff and I did."

Spike let his head drop with the reminder of his blunder. "I royally fucked that up didn't I?"

"No that's not what I- that's not what I was getting at." She almost reached out to take his hand but they were in his pockets so she just let her hands fall back to her side. "Right before I died I was thinking and – it just- you had that robot and then you did that thing with Glory and then the fighting and you were so supportive and- whatever I'm totally getting off track. After I died everything was just happening so fast and you were still there but you wanted human me then everything got all messy and you know that was only a few weeks ago. I've only been undead for so long. I'm still working on it. Feeling things is…I like you okay. That's pretty much the point."

A hand pushed her chin up to keep her from staring at the ground and make her see the small smile on his face. "How much?"

"What?" She smiled and he moved closer, pushing their bodies together in the small space they had.

"How much do you like me?"

"Do I have to-"

"Yes."

"Okay. Um." The heat she normally would have felt from blushing was absent but she could still feel the muscles in her face pull from her self-consciousness. With her eyes focusing on his chest and her hands pulling at the lapels on his jacket she answered his question. "I meant what I said. Before. About not knowing what I'd do without you. I guess I just…don't want you to go anywhere. And maybe I got a little jealous. I mean … tiny bit." She pouted and put her fingers together, holding them up so he could see. "Teany tiny bit. Like micro tiny bit."

"You nearly bit her head off for touching my arm."

"Macro micro tiny bit."

"You are just-" He shook his head and sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's always been you Buffy. I love you."

"And I just might-" Buffy was cut off as Dawn came jumping next to them, tackling something to the ground. When the both looked she moved to show a human that had been playing dead trying to sneak out the side door.

"I got it!" She yelled to the others who glared at the couple.

"You two too precious to get your nail dirty?" Angelus called while hauling a body into the truck. They were clearing them out pretty fast but there was plenty for everyone to do.

"Yeah, yeah." Spike called back. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch." He turned back to Buffy and nodded her on. "You were saying?"

"I was saying-" Buffy was cut off again by a loud shrill coming from Dru in the middle of the room. It was when she screamed out again, her hands flying for her temples that they ran over to see why she was slowly falling to the ground.

"What's happening?" Buffy asked the others while Spike picked her head off the ground and put it in his lap.

"She's seeing something." Darla told her.

"What is it? What are you seeing?" Spike asked but Dru didn't answer right away.

* * *

It had taken Tara every bit of strength to get a spell to work on her own. It was hearing Willow so defeated through that intercom that really had her pushing for her to get it right. It had to have been weeks since Cordy first suggested the plan. She didn't think it would work but what other choice did they have? Only, magic wasn't really her strong point and she wouldn't have time to look at spells if she even did manage to get out of her cell.

She worked with the spells she knew by heart and practiced each and every second of the day and night. Whenever she was awake, not being checked in on by one of the vamps, she was practicing. Once she managed to get a spark of light in the air, another time a gust of wind, and after much concentration she managed to wiggle the lock on her door a bit. It would not be enough magic to fight with but it was enough for the plan. Or so she hoped.

Tara knew her time had come when she could hear vamps she didn't recognize talking outside her door. She knew they were vamps or demons of some kind at least by the way they were talking about going out to kill the humans but that wasn't the most important part. The most important part was finding out that all the vampires would be gone and no one would be staying behind.

It was her only shot and she had to take it. Once she was sure the vampires were gone, having heard them bicker on their way out the door, she started to concentrate. It took her an hour to get it to move but she could finally hear the lock clicking in the dark, opening. It took her another ten minutes of exhausting focus to get it to open all the way.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stuck her head outside the door. She didn't hear anyone but vampires were sneaky. This wasn't something she normally did either. She had never been around this much trouble before meeting Willow. No, she didn't mean that in a bad way. She was just nervous. The others were much braver than her.

As soon as she could get her legs to start moving she lunged into the hall and slammed into the next room. She gasped at the amount of magical items that had increased since her last visit to the room. She didn't have time to dawdle though. As much as she wanted to store up and do a spell that could save everyone, she had enough trouble getting the door open and the vamps could be back for any reason any minute.

She only grabbed what she needed: the book she remembered reading the spell in, a lily, and a hummingbird feather. That was the easy part. The hard part was finding Cordy and actually doing the spell after she was so mentally exhausted.

Outside the door she started to walk around, tapping every door she passed to see what ones were locked and shutting them when they opened. She didn't know what else to do. How was she supposed to find anyone? She spun on the spot when she thought she heard something squeak and squeaked herself.

Breathe. She closed her eyes and opened her mind searching for something. Maybe she could find Willow and she would be able to help. Maybe the light magic would do her some good. She tried to relax while her hands gripped at the book and listened to her mind. She started to walk to where it called, just a tiny feeling she had that it was the right direction like someone was Marco-ing while she was Polo-ing, and turned around entering a new part of the mansion she hadn't seen before. She hadn't really seen much of it except for her cell, where they first ambushed the vamps, and the outside where she had to put out the fires.

She walked quicker as the calling grew louder but had to stop and turn when she felt a very powerful spot enter her mind. She wasn't very strong as a witch but she had opened her mind a lot during her concentration in opening the door and could reel feel the power and actually reeled back from the magic behind the door. She turned and saw which room but she didn't dare try to enter it. The dark power behind it was too strong. It made her head hurt and her stomach queasy and she backed away instead, continuing her walk down the hall and down a different path. Whatever was behind there, it couldn't be good. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight it alone.

It was clear when she reached the correct door as that small feeling in her mind grew louder. Without hesitation she snapped the locks open and walked into the room hoping someone behind could help and not kill her.

"I told you I can't give you any more blood Angelus. Just leave me alone."

"Cordellia?"

"Tara?!" Cordy snapped up from her bed and took in the sight before her with cautious hope.

"Yeah. Yeah, i-it's me."

"Oh Tara." Cordy jumped up and hugged the girl she barely knew, smiling and half way to crying already. "What's going on?"

"We don't have much time."

"Right." Cordy backed away and took in the items she nearly smooshed in her hands. "That's the spell?"

"Yeah. Well I mean I have to do the spell but that's what we need."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Sit there."

Cordy did as she said and sat back on the bed, her body collapsing faster than she would have liked someone to see. Her time in the cell had been horrid to say the least. Her will was slowly depleting with every visit from Angelus, his creative nature coming into play. She really was trying to hope and believe that her friends would come for her, that the PTB would come into play, or some miracle would happen. She honestly was losing that hope fast. Seeing Tara brought a whole new rush of energy back into her, something she truly missed. She couldn't even care to ask where the vampires were or how Tara escaped or anything. The witch had done more than she ever expected. When she first told her of her plan she never really expected for her to follow through.

Tara collapsed in front of her and flipped the book open to the page while keeping a wary eye on the door. "Hold this. It'll be the connection for when they get your message. It connects them to you." She handed the flower over and held the feather in her own hands. "I have to do this quick. And it could um- well it might- I'm not really sure. Based on what you were saying-"

"What?"

"It could cause a vision. In fact that's part of the point."

"Wonderful. Because my head didn't hurt enough already."

"We don't have to-"

"Yes. Yes we do. Go ahead. Do your witchy thing."

Tara gave her a final glance before reading off the page and moving the feather in front of her eyes, the tip of it touching her third eye. It only took a moment for the screams to start as Cordy's vision started to cross over her mind. She tried all she could to stay upright as the pain spiraled down her neck and back but it was hard. Tara kept giving her worried glances but continued all the same, too anxious about the vamps coming back.

Cordy tried to keep her yells down but the pain was just too much. If the vampires were within range it would just be something she would have to deal with. She couldn't blow this. She had to accept it as wave after wave of images flew past her, faster than they ever had. All she could do was feel pain and confusion and sorrow. It was all moving too fast, she couldn't see a thing. She couldn't make heads or tails of it. Then the pain increased to a level she had rarely felt before. It was like her body just couldn't take the power within and was splitting open at the seams, her skin pulling apart with the force of it all as hot blood ran through he cracks. Luckily it ended quick and she collapsed on the bed behind her and fell into unconsciousness.

Tara gasped at what she had done. Cordy was out on the bed with blood running down her neck and a large gash running down her arm and chest. She didn't have time to help her.

The flower was gone, it burst into flames with the spell. There was nothing to pick up but the book and the feather in her hand. She took another look at the broken girl but she knew the blood would cost her. She was already risking everything by being near. If one of the vamps smelled some blood on her that they knew wasn't hers…it wouldn't end well.

She did the only thing she could do and raised the blanket over Cordy and placed it in her hand to make it look like she had carried it herself before running back to her cell, throwing the magical items back and diving into her room to concentrate on locking herself in again.

Then all she had to do was wait. Wait for the Powers That Be to do what they did and wait for them all to be rescued.

Wait for her to be with her Willow again.

Wherever she was.

She hoped she was okay.

* * *

"Dru? What do you see?" Spike tried again as everyone moved in to see what she said as she continued to moan.

"The dragon bites and takes. It flies too fast. Too fast back home. The smoke! I can't breathe!"

"You don't need to breathe Dru."

"No!" She threw her head around, shaking it left and right and back again. "Take. Give. Take. Too many! They can't! They can't!"

"Dru, calm down."

"The wings are breaking!" She sobbed before pawing at the sky with a strained smile. "Look at them fall. Flower petals in the sky. Red like ribbons in her hair. Bursting into flames."

"Drusilla?"

"She will be destruction."


	26. Never Been Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Spikey" coming from Dru – I don't think she ever said it cannon either, not that I remember anyway. I meant for it to be in a mocking way. Dru knows what's going on, obviously, and while she's not the jealous type she is the seducing/teasing type. So she says it in a mocking way to annoy both Spike and Buffy because who the hell wasn't annoyed by Harmony and it's just her little jab. Like, remember this ex too type thing. Buffy even mentions Harmony -not necessarily directly because of the Spikey but it is kind of implied that it goes with it. So thank you spoikesbytch for letting me know that sounded weird. I went back to make it make more sense. Thank you so much I really do appreciated it!
> 
> In fact I appreciate all your reviews and such! They really are motivating and I am very glad you are enjoying the darker side. I hope you'll be sticking with us because I'm excited and you should be to... ;)
> 
> I debated posting so soon since you know how bad I am at constant updates but it's the solstice and I thought it was a good time for magic *wiggles eyebrows*. Plus I love you guys (aw) so here you go and enjoy…muhahaha.

 

* * *

Everyone had been rather exhausted after the change-a-palooza. All that eating and feeding had every single one of them ready to pass out. Plus there was the whole figuring out what the hell Dru was moaning about. No one really knew and the group of older vampires said it was never really going to make sense until it happened so as much as it was a warning, there wasn't much they could do about it.

After their talk at the Bronze Buffy invited Spike back up to her room for the day. To sleep. Because that's all they had energy for. They only woke when the sun had started to fade in the sky. Well Buffy woke on her own and she kicked Spike awake. Kind of by accident. He was in her space and she forgot who was there for a moment.

"Bloody hell!"

"Sorry."

"You will be." He jumped on top of her body and pinned her hands to the bed, biting down her neck and down her chest.

"Mmm. You want to grab breakfast?"

"I thought I was." Spike purred and nipped at her jutting out bottom lip.

She nipped back with a sigh, sinking further into the bed. "I was thinking we could go to the coffee shop." She licked a line across his jaw and pulled her hands from his, scratching her way up his arm and over his shoulders. "Grab a couple of expresso filled college kids. You know, before all the new vamps grab the good ones."

"If a caffeinated bookworm is what my pet wants, it's what she'll get." Spike rolled her on her side and started rubbing a hand over the curve of her stomach and down her legs, pushing the comforter out of his way while pulling her closer.

She chuckled when his nails scraped their way back up her hips and across her back. "What if I want you to be my caffeinated bookworm?"

He pulled back with a brow raised, his best 'bad ass' face at the ready. "Do I look like some wanker librarian-type to you?"

"I can picture it." She leaned back and let a finger dance down his collar bone and down his chest, drawing small circles back up to his shoulder and down again, distracting him with the tingling sensation her nails gave and the way her chest just barely rubbed against his. "Sweater...dorky classes...nervous stutter -but not as much as Tara...oh yeah. I can picture that."

He caught the tip of her finger as it crossed over his jaw and pulled it into his mouth, letting his teeth playfully scrape at her knuckle, pulling her hand away so he could talk -keeping note of the intense stare she gave his mouth as his tongue darted out to lick the spot she was. "Well if I'm dressing up for you, you're dressing up for me."

"Well," She licked her own lip, jutting it out ever so slightly and giving him her best innocent eyes. "Fair is fair."

They lost themselves to some more after-sleep kisses before sinking further into each others' bodies, pulling each other as close as they could possible be without giving in all the way...just as there was a knock on the door.

"Hey push pop!" Angelus screamed through the door. "Get your ass out here. The women are fucking nuts."

"Did he just call me push pop?" Spike looked down at her for the explanation.

"He's had candy on the brain a lot." Buffy giggled just as Angelus smashed the lock off the door and ripped it open. "Hey!"

"Stop stalling." Angelus hauled Spike up out of the bed. "We got a truck full of live ones ready to pop and a room full of girls harping on clothes and stuff. I can't take this without booze and _someone_ drank the rest of the beer." Angelus glared at Spike who smiled coyly while Buffy cocked her head to the side, wondering if Angelus even realized Spike was naked. Maybe he was just used to it. They were around each other for decades. Had to wonder how used to it they really were...He wasn't even blinking an eye.

"Not my fault mate." Spike shoved out of his grasp and nodded back at her. "Woman kicked me out, had nothing to do."

"Don't blame me." Buffy rolled over and fumbled for the pants near her bed. She wasn't exactly clothed either.

"Hey! Eyes off the girl." Spike gripped Angelus' face and snapped it towards the doorway.

"Hands off me!" He slapped the younger vamps hands away and smiled his shit eating smile. "Nothing I haven't already seen."

"Guys!" Dawn came running into the room just as Spike was about to pound Angelus' face into the wall and stopped with a chuckle at the scene. "Dare I ask what's going on here?" Spike jumped and flipped the covers on the bed to hide his sensitive bits from the Nibblet as Buffy continued to dress and Angelus just rolled his eyes.

"We're coming. So shoo. Everyone shoo. Out, out, out." She chased them out of her room even though Spike was trying really hard to push in so he could get to the clothes he left behind. Oh well. Toga for him. She just needed a minute to herself. She had an army to run after all.

Everyone started to wake around the same time that night, just as the moon was high enough in the sky to call their demons forward. The amount of changed vamps in the trunk was small but their group could only make so many with their limited numbers. When they needed more followers they would have the numbers to make them now.

Buffy stood at the front of their group with Dawn and Spike at her side, Angelus, Dru and Darla were all behind –Darla sitting in a chair she brought outside because she said standing hurt her feet with the baby. That only led to another argument between Angelus and her. He was to the point of staking her if it would get her to stop her whining and she was ready to stake him just for the hell of it. Dru was just standing and dancing in place or whatever she did while she was humming to a tune only she knew anyway. It was best they were in the back.

They were in the curved driveway of the mansion, the semi-truck parked in the front, forced up against the trees. Darla said the steering wheel bumped into her belly and that's why it was parked so badly, almost flipping it over in the process, but the boys started in on her for always being a bad driver and in the end it really didn't matter.

The fledgling vamps started to crawl out of the back looking energized and confused, just like she hoped they would be. She gestured for those behind her – minus Darla- to surround them so none would run off if the idea crossed their mind. They didn't even seem that shocked by the other vamps, just confused. Memories of who they were from the night before must have been spinning around in their mind. Perfect.

After the group of thirty or so had all moved out of the metal box she started to speak. "Hey everyone! You remember me? Buffy?"

The mass of vamps snapped to her as their newly sensitive ears picked up on the power radiating off her body –like no other vamp in their group. The fledglings were all crawling with power themselves, ready to snap any moment from the dry hunger pangs taking over their bodies. Oh yes, they would be useful.

"Welcome to the family!" Dru rolled out and started petting the hair of the fledgling girl closest to her, who was totally freaked out by it. She had been on about the giant family thing ever since recovering from her vision. Buffy just let it drop. She would get used to Dru...one day.

"Family?" One of the new vamps asked, looking around with eyes flashing somewhere between gold and blue. "What do you mean?"

"We are the ones that sired you." Buffy gestured to the vamps trapping the fledglings in their tiny circle, each waving in their own way. "That makes us family. _Apparently_. So this giant medieval looking thing-a-ma-jig behind me, that's your new home. You're welcome to stay but there are a few rules. You're new vampires and you're probably really thirsty now right? You don't understand why but you need blood and you smell the humans trapped inside. Rule one, don't eat the humans! They're off limits. You can go into town but those humans-" She pointed back to their home. "-are off limits. I don't care what you do with the others out there. But not them. Rule two, when we tell you to do something, you do it. Easy peasy right? As long as you listen to the rules, you'll be fine. We are a big nest and will only get bigger so I know we will have problems but believe me when I say it will be worth it. Stick with us and we'll bring you the world. So go ahead and eat. The Bronze will probably be closed -our bad- but there are plenty of other kids out there. Go drink a human or two or pig -if that's your thing I guess -and come back home."

"Why should we?" A boy asked in the crowd, looking similar to those bookworms Buffy was talking about in bed.

"Sorry what?" Buffy mocked pretending not to hear, but really? They were vampires. They could hear everything. "Why don't you come up here and ask your question so everyone can hear you?"

The boy traveled up slowly as the others parted for him, only recoiling a bit from the energy flowing off her body and the sweet smile plastered on her face. He wasn't exactly the smartest bookworm. "I said, why should we?" He turned and called out to the group before him. "Why should we listen to someone- to anyone? We're vampires! Doesn't that mean we can do what we want?"

"That's a good question." Buffy smiled sweetly as Dawn and Dru started to chuckle to each other, laughing at some inside joke. "Why should you listen to me? Is it because I saved you from your pathetic human lives and brought you the salvation you were searching for? A new hell on earth that you and your demon control? Or-" Buffy slipped her hand into her back pocket and whipped out a stake, slamming it into the boy's chest making him burst into dust within seconds. "Is it because I'm also the slayer?!" The crowd slinked away from the wood in her hands as she held it by her side, addressing them once again. "That fear you feel, somewhere deep down in your core. Something that's just there? That's me. I'm what you're scared of. I'm a vampire and I'm the slayer and I will not hesitate to do my job. If you are with us then be with us, if you are against us…" She gestured to her group of vamps that each pulled out their own stake before deliberately looking at the pile of ash on the ground.

It didn't take long for the group of fledgling vamps to crowd closer together and cheer for her victory.

As they were doing so she gestured for Angelus and Spike to follow her, their stakes being tucked away on their person as they walked. The rest took care of the newbies and invited them into the mansion, explaining the new way of life and where they could stay or which neighbors they could kill to obtain their homes, along with their list of chores as well. Luckily there was a cemetery really close by for those that were more inclined towards the old fashioned crypt.

Buffy had more important things to get to.

* * *

Willow lost track of how many days had passed. She slept most of them away anyway. It made sense with how sick she felt and all the nosebleeds and headaches she was getting made her tired anyway. Ever since that spell with Spike she just couldn't seem to find the energy anymore.

Not that she had a reason for energy. She hadn't even been visited. Not once. She was sure that they were doing that on purpose. She never felt more alone. More cut off. She couldn't remember a time where she had hope of escape. The only hope she let herself have was that her friends would get out and that Tara would know how much she loved her.

The amount of time it took for them to collect her after Spike's healing spell was a mystery. As much as she would think leaving her confining cage would be a relief for both her and her magic, it truly scared her when they came and ripped her away from her room and dragged her all the way outside.

It wasn't just Buffy but Spike and Angelus as well. She knew this couldn't be good but it just didn't make sense. Spike was fine and walking and obviously still evil. Where could they be taking her? Why did they need her? Why weren't they talking? Though she was warned not to use her magic, it was out of its box now and she had it at the ready, her eyes scanning over everything she could see as they shoved her along. It especially started to flare when she saw where they were headed.

It was a long walk from the mansion and extra tense with the unending silence. They walked and walked and walked up and down hills, further into the woods until they reached a small clearing. It had been physically created to be shaped as a circle -lined with coarse purple salt, designs decorating the upturned dirt created using bundles of sticks and liquid she couldn't possibly know the origin of, and there were candles, dead flowers, and snakes shoved up against the trunk of a large tree in the center of it all. She followed the markings circling it to the opposite side and learned that they all pointed to one thing, "Tara!"

"Oh good. She's still here." Buffy chuckled to herself. "Not that I was really worried. Tied the knots myself."

Tara was tied and gagged on the other side of the great tree, her body splayed out in the backwards hug. She had been crying already and cried out again when she saw Willow coming near. Willow too cried out both in relief that she was alive and worry of why she was in the middle of such an ominous thing. Buffy held out a hand so she couldn't actually go to her as Spike and Angelus tightened their positions behind her.

"You're going to do a spell." She said, jumping into it as Willow shook her head. "Yes." Buffy nodded hers and grabbed Willow's chin harshly, making her nod along, smooshing her lips together. "This spell."

Buffy reached back as Spike handed her a book Willow had never seen before. A great big giant book covered in moving letters and symbols. Willow was hypnotized by the effect as Buffy opened it up and she saw the page filled with tiny words and images, a few swimming about the page like they did on the cover. She shook her head to focus on the real issue. While a large part of her just wanted to reach out and see what those words were saying, slow them down so she could read them properly, she knew that was exactly what they wanted.

"I can't even understand this." She raised her chin in the small bit of defiance she had left, moving her body between her love and the three menacing vamps before her. "Why do you have Tara here? What do you want with her? Is she- Baby are you okay?" Willow earned herself a smack across the cheek for calling over her shoulder as Buffy pulled her attention back.

"Focus Willow. The spell. Then Tara will go free."

Willow looked down again, her breathing picking up in pace as the panic settled in. She took another look around the carved out circle and though her long constricted magic was itching to be used on such a large scale she could also feel the darkness surrounding them. The only spec of light was Tara, tied to that tree, and she was not about to let her down. She would take that spec of light and last. Just for her. "No." She sounded much braver now, swallowing down the want bubbling in her throat. "I won't do what you want and I can't read it anyway."

"You know, I never liked research." Buffy sighed and started to flip through the pages of the book. She couldn't see it the same as Willow. The words were there but chunks of them were missing. Only a truly powerful dark witch would have the capacity to follow the 'running letters'. That's what they were called though she didn't really know why. It was amazing what she found out when she was bored. "But I've been reading up. I know for a fact you can Wills. The deep and dark is like quicksand. Once you get in, you can't get out. You're already stuck. Changing Spike back really did you in. That feeling, that power, you can't resist it. Your eyes are dark just looking at this thing."

"You can't make me."

"Oh sweetie. Yes we can." Buffy shifted the book around and reached behind her pulling something with a golden glint to the front of her body until the dragon blade was on show in her palm, it's ruby eyes glaring up at the witch. "Do you know what this is?"

"Is that the knife you…"

"Poked your liver with?" Spike asked with a chuckle. "That'd be the one."

"It's a special knife." Buffy said bringing Willow's attention back. "A gypsy's knife infused with dark magic. It was made a long time ago by some witch named Medea or whatever. It all looked Greek to me. Anyway. Any damage it does gets the magic fix by draining the stabber's life force and healing it. Like karma. For stabby people. She had a thing for revenge or something. I really am bad at research."

Buffy held it out and waited for Willow as she stared, unmoving. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Well it's not going to kill us." Buffy giggled and gave up, instead leading her directly to the center of the circle, right next to Tara. "And because, Tara has to die."

Willow whipped around from the shock needing the words to play out in her mind again to understand them. "What?" _Tara has to die._ No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Tara was going to be fine. She never did anything wrong. Ever! She was going to be fine. Willow was the one who did everything wrong.

She felt like she was punched in the gut as she looked over at her girlfriend and saw her face collapsed in panic and fear. She just kept shaking her head, unbelieving. She had to have heard it wrong. "N-no."

"The spell." Buffy nodded and pointed at the book. "A human has to die for it to work. Darla's witch translated for me so don't try to tell me otherwise."

Willow felt her throat catch as she stared at her former best friend telling her to kill the love of her life. It felt so surreal but that didn't stop her chest from feeling like it was collapsing in on itself. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't think past _Tara has to die._ "No. I won't do the spell."

"Still think we won't make you? Alright. Angelus." Angelus jogged over with a regular blade of his, the long curve shining in the light of the clearing, and handed it to Buffy. "Once the blood starts to flow the spell must be completed or we'll just have to try again with someone else. Xander is still around, Cordeilla too. Or we can just start picking kids off the street. The young ones really are the most gullible."

"I could have helped you." Spike added on, looking at Tara. "You didn't want it."

Tara just whined through her gag forcing Willow's voice to come out, though she was still in too much shock to know what she was saying. "I won't- I'm not-No. Not going- kill anyone."

"No." Buffy shook her head in mock pity and twisted the second blade in her hand. "But I will. You're powerful Willow. More powerful than any old gypsy knife."

"You want me to use the knife?"

"To kill Tara, yes. The magic in the knife will bring her back. With the power you got it probably won't take that long. She'll only be dead a few minutes."

Willow shook her head harder, tears coming to her eyes as everything started to settle in. "No."

"No? Well then. I guess we'll just have to do it the hard way."

Buffy struck the shining ordinary knife forward and sent it straight through Tara's gut, digging it out in one quick swipe. Willow screamed, ran forward and knelt before the girl tied to the tree, trying to cover the wound and remember the healing spells that she knew. It was so hard with Tara's muffled screams being the only thing she could focus on. It would be okay, she knew spells. She had magic. It would be okay she just needed to think. But, oh god she was bleeding so much and the blood was running over her knuckles so fast. She couldn't look up, she would break if she saw her eyes. She had to save her. This wasn't happening. She had to think of a spell. But the only one that kept ringing around was the one she used on Spike and she couldn't use that because it was dark magic and if she used more dark magic with a book like that lying around, there was no doubt she would do the spell –whatever it was.

"We won't save her Willow." Buffy reminded her, hiding the glee she felt behind a false frown. "Try and heal her and we'll just do it again and again and again until she dies. For good. Unless we feel like doing her a favor. Then you can have her for life, knowing you damned her in the same way you damned me."

Willow screamed and turned around slamming her magic out from her body in a tornado of wind with Tara and herself being in the eye. Buffy felt the pounding standing so close but not even that power could make her move. It just felt like a harsh breeze blowing over her skin, enough to make her drop the book and gypsy knife but nothing that could affect her -unlike the boys who were both thrown back into a tree with a groan. Some backup they were.

"You don't have much time!" Buffy screamed over the wind that continued to whip around the circle, over the treetops and around the boys. "She's dying. Do the spell and you can use the dragon blade to save her." Willow's black eyes focused on the dragon blade on the ground and called it to her mentally. It flew into her palm and she whipped forward quick, slashing it against Buffy's stomach in a position similar to Tara -who was still gagged and crying out to her, unheard against the wind.

Buffy grabbed Willow's wrist and bent it back, the blade falling to the ground as she did so. "Ow." She growled and tossed the girl to the ground, reaching down and picking the blade back up. "Fine. Do the spell and save her or you're not getting the knife that will."

"I won't kill her!" Willow screamed, her voice sounding like gravel with the amount of power bubbling in her again.

"You don't have a choice!" Buffy screamed right back, unafraid. "She's going to die either way! Do you want to save her or not?!"

Willow felt the panic in her breathing choke her as she looked up at her girlfriend, pleading in her eyes. Tara was trying to tell her not to do it. Not to do the spell. Suddenly Tara felt her mind filled with this darkness as Willow started to talk, her voice echoing in her thoughts.

_Baby-_

_Don't do it Willow. The spell. You can't do it._

_I can't let you die._

_It'll be okay. They'll come._

_No one is coming! Everyone is locked up._

_No it's- it's- it's…_

_Baby? Babe? Tara?!_

Tara had slipped into unconsciousness, the pool of blood at her feet growing at an alarming rate. Willow screamed again and flipped the book open on the ground, yelling every word out as the candles burst into flames and Buffy had to run away from the heat and stand behind her.

She could feel the pull of the magic as it exploded in her, more than it ever had before. Nothing could stop her as she focused on the dancing symbols and moved the magical items with her mind, the salt in the circle spinning around, the fire traveling towards the tree, the snakes coming back to life, and the ground quaking with the power behind her words. The rushing and pounding of her heart in her chest slammed her into overdrive as she stood and ripped the dragon blade from Buffy, her arms crawling with the pulling dark red veins straining on her skin from the inward explosion. She cried out as she flipped the blade towards Tara, the dark pull of her magic pushing her to do the final act to finish the spell and feel the release she so desperately needed after having been cooped up for so long. The act that she could only hope with the hope she lost so long ago would not kill her.

_I love you._

Her eyes focused on nothing as the glint of the blade dove down and sunk into her lover's chest. She screamed at the pull and pain as the tornado of wind came spiraling around the two of them, the tree in the ground ripping out of its roots and lifting them both into the air.

Buffy couldn't see what was happening through the chaos. All she could see were flashes of white light bursting out and up, the tree being thrown far into the woods, and two bodies collapsing to the ground.

One was the body of Tara, a bit mangled from the fall and all the stabbings but the wounds were healing fast and soon Buffy could hear the blood pumping in her body, her breathing returning with a jolt. The other body also lay mangled from the fall but it didn't look like Willow. Her hair was black and her body was covered in unearthly shades of dark red and black –veins still pulling at every inch of her.

Then the wind died down and the earth shook beneath them. Buffy looked out the woods towards the city when in the distance she heard many screams and a lot of crashing about. She smiled and started to laugh at the sky. The spell worked.

She only looked down when she saw the bodies beneath her start to move. Tara snapped up to attention, the knife falling from her chest to her lap and her body quickly finished healing, quicker than any other human's had. Willow's mojo was running strong through her. She fell back down with the shock and looked over at her girlfriend, completely covered in dark vibes that pulsed off her body in angry jolts. She leaned down and shook her arm, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Baby? Are you okay?"

Willow started to move as her body shook and slow quiet chuckles escaped her closed mouth. With a pop she opened her eyes and showed the pitch black orbs hiding beneath, a smile spreading out over her face. "Never been better."


	27. Blood

Never had Tara been more terrified. She couldn't understand how this had all happened. It seemed like only a few weeks ago that everyone was eating breakfast and laughing and having fun. Maybe that's because it was only a few weeks ago. Well, Buffy was secretly a vampire and Spike secretly knew about it and was secretly helping her…but even then. They were all a bit cranky and on edge from bringing her back but they weren't in this mess and they were together.

Tara had been tied to that tree for hours. Sometime when the sun was just setting behind the trees, up until they pulled Willow to her. Dead snakes curled around her feet and she could do nothing to kick them off with her limbs tied so tight. Her joints pulled, her limbs scratched, and spiders were crawling over her face and under her gag. Other animals jumped about, frightening her with their sounds and she was just stuck, waiting. The worst part was, she knew what was going to happen.

"You're going to die and Willow is going to be the one to kill you." As if that didn't send her heart into overdrive already, Buffy told her what that truly meant. "The best part, she's going to lose her soul doing it."

"W-what?"

"Yeah." Buffy was laughing, teasing, and taunting as she secured the knots on the scratchy rope. "It's some kind of balancing thing. She kills you, she dies herself. Or she's supposed to. Her magic won't let her die –we're sort of counting on that. Rather have her around than you. No offense. So instead of dying like she's supposed to, her soul is just gonna be what fuels you back up. So you won't actually die. Not really. Temporarily. We hope. Like a cat nap. Although, I'm pretty sure cat naps are long. So maybe not a cat. Maybe like a…hamster? Do hamsters even take naps?"

"But you can't. She'll be-"

"Soulless dark magic fueled Willow?" Buffy laughed a she rounded the tree and gave the quivering girl a wide smile. "I can't wait. She'll be so much more fun."

"So it's revenge then? She accidentally made you lose your soul and now you're gonna do the same thing?"

"Something like that."

"It won't work. She won't kill me. Even if you make her- she won't join with you. Just because someone doesn't have a soul, that doesn't make them evil. You of all people know that."

"I do. Which is why I'm hoping you'll live." That's when she took the gag out and wrapped it tightly around her mouth, keeping her from telling Willow what would happen. "And if you find a way to tell her, I'll make sure you don't."

All Willow could hear when she got close enough were Tara's muffled whines and screams. Tara really was trying to convey the information through her sounds but Willow didn't understand. She seemed much more entranced by that book than anything else. Willow did call back to see how she was but that wasn't enough. The slap Buffy gave prevented her from seeing the warning in her eyes.

When the knives came out it shifted Willow's focus again. Tara shook her head furiously when the dragon blade came out and Buffy told her what was going to happen and still she didn't see! She didn't see Tara's head shake and she didn't see what Buffy was really saying. She didn't understand the consequences of her actions.

Once the silver knife sliced through Tara's stomach there wasn't much coherency in her muffled screams anymore. The pain melded with the warning and Willow still didn't understand. Tara could see the flash in her girlfriend's eyes as the anger pushed her dark magic to the surface, not helped by the surrounding landscape. Tara was mentally pleading with her not to give in but that seemed to be in vain as Willow sent the dragon blade through the vampire's stomach. There was only a moment to wonder if that would do anything, if Willow's magic or the magic in the blade would hurt her, or if it would somehow hurt Willow more than she already was –drain her life source to fix the vamp- but it was only a stick poking a bear.

She knew it was over when Willow spoke in her mind. It brought her straight back to the night before when she was aimlessly wondering the halls trying to find Cordelia. It was like that dark power hidden behind that door just punched its way into her consciousness. It hurt and it didn't feel like her warm comforting Willow at all. She tried to stay awake long enough to warn her not to do it, that bad things would happen, that they had hope because she was able to finish the spell with Cordy but she couldn't fight her body long enough to do so.

The next thing she knew the tree and its restraints crashed far away and she was floating in the air, high above the ground, stuck inside a mini tornado pulling her up above the trees. It was so strange. It was like a dream. She was out of her body, watching the horrific scene from above, seeing her body connected to Willow only by the hilt of the golden blade she had stabbed inside her chest, the dragon's eyes glowing a harsh red, illuminating Willow's face. It was in the red glow that she could see her change.

The shining amber of her hair slipped away as raven black took its place. The veins visibly rose as her skin pulled with the wind around her, the power physically taking her body over. Her eyes, already dark, only seemed to get darker. They were pitch black pools reflecting the scene around them as a light shot out of her hands, through the dragon, and into the sky. Tara could see her own body jolt, the blood slowing its drip down her stomach, and then she was falling. Back into her body and back to the ground.

Then the knife was falling from her chest. She snapped up with the feeling of being in her own mind again and felt overwhelmed with the dark magic rushing to every part of her and taking away the pain in one energy draining rush, making her collapse again. That's when she saw the girl next to her. The tears started to push up as she realized what had happened and she asked her if she was okay, hoping that any second her Willow would return.

"Never been better."

There was no such luck.

* * *

Cordy felt some strange form of de-ja-vu the following night, after Tara had visited her and invaded her brain with that witch mojo. It wasn't a vision, just a dream that was eerily similar to the vision that dragged her into this mess. She was in the woods with Buffy and Willow. Buffy was laughing at the sky as blood dripped red over her hands and to the ground. Willow was blinking open pitch black eyes and smiling. In the distance were the screams and shouts of all the terrified humans, only creeping closer. Then it all faded out to nothing but darkness, Buffy's laugh quietly ringing out in the background.

She woke with a start as a large crash sounded in the distance, but nothing changed for her. She was still stuck in her room, covering her body with the scrap of blanket Angelus had given her, hiding away the open scars the last vision had let behind. This dream, as terrifying as it was -leaving a sense of hopelessness within her-, was a godsend compared to a vision. She knew it in her heart and after every doctor visit, she was dying because of them. It was part of the reason she asked Tara to do what she did. If she was to be stuck in this cell, there was at least one good thing no one could take away and that was her visions. If the Powers That Be didn't want to save her, fine. She would die. She would die doing what was right and saving her friends.

* * *

Willow easily slid her body around and jumped to her feet, leaving Tara gaping on the ground and disturbing the dark smoke hanging in the air. Buffy stood tall, her hand clasped over the open gash on her stomach, smiling as the boys behind her started to groan and roll to their feet.

"Willow."

"Buffy."

"Black's a nice color for you."

"Thanks." She gestured to Buffy's bleeding wound. "Red looks good on you."

"Thanks. So, how do you feel?"

"Like I owe you a lot."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Willow smirked and pushed her palms up, sending a harsh blast of magic in front of her body.

It pounded with Buffy's undead body, affecting her in a way magic not yet had. She felt the full impact as it pushed into her and sent her flying back, her fall only breaking because she crashed into the two male vamps behind her. She jumped straight back up when they each pushed her off of them and she dropped her hand from her quick healing wound to better balance herself. Lucky for her she got stabbed by someone crazy powerful and she was crazy powerful herself. It would be fixed up in no time.

Which would come in handy because Willow was floating a foot off the ground and coming in her direction. She smiled at the witch and started to run for her, jumping and tackling her to the ground. The two collided with matching grunts and she only landed a single punch before Willow sent another blast of power up. She flew into the air and spun her body back until she had flipped upright and landed on her feet.

With a small flourish, she flipped again and kicked Willow in her gut, another punch soon following but Willow wasn't her normal gawky self. She was able to block and land a hit of her own before Buffy could grab her by the dingy clothes on her back and send her flying towards the woods making her crash with the two boys again. They groaned as she pushed up from them and flipped her hands out.

With a loud crunch one of the trees above broke and a large branch came flying towards Buffy who only managed to jump out of the way, leaves slapping against the side of her face, and a twig catching one of the holes of her fishnets, ripping them open. "Hey! I liked those!" She jumped back at her and avoided another blast of magic as she dove behind a tree outside the circle, laughing to herself at the joy she felt from the adrenaline rushing through her. This Willow was more fun.

Her ears picked up on Willow slowly walking towards her and mentally cursed the boys for being so inept. Using the tree to push herself she curled to the other side and sent her foot straight into the side of the witch's big dark head. "Willow!" Tara screamed from the woods. She had ran when the tree branch came flying her way but couldn't get very far, not knowing what would become of her Willow –or this version of her.

Willow flipped on the ground, turning to the scream, when Buffy jumped on top of her. Willow tossed around and slammed Buffy's back into the ground before flipping back with her hands poised for another magical attack. Buffy caught her by the wrists and pushed her arms to the ground, forcing that magic to shake the earth instead. Willow tried to shake her off but the combined power –halfbreed power like Dru would say- was forcing Willow to stay put as she thrashed about. Buffy tackled her the rest of the way and forced her to look up at her as she pinned her in the dirt.

"What's the matter Willow? Healing me and Tara drain all your juice?"

As Willow looked up she could see that Buffy's slash had indeed healed the rest of the way. It was true. She could feel her magic exhausting her. It was nothing like the nosebleeds and headaches she used to get. It felt much more like exhaustion than physically dying. For now. "I got enough to kill you."

"You can't kill me Willow." Willow squirmed more and her body heated as flames started to crackle at the tips of her fingers. Buffy's eyes grew wide at the sight but she simply shifted and kneed the witch in the side, making the flames stop. "Alright you can. But you shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Kill me and who will stop them from killing her?"

Willow followed Buffy's gaze and saw Spike holding a squirming Tara against his body. He was having an argument with Angelus over something, or so it seemed. Angelus was waving his arms about like he did –making a show- but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Don't try and tell me you don't care." Buffy added with a squeeze of her wrists. "I know you still love her. You can love without a soul. So come back with us. No magic tricks."

After a few moments of intense glaring by Willow, she frowned and agreed, "Fine." Buffy let the witch's wrists go only to be sent flying back again with one final magic push. "Last one."

The walk back to the mansion was full of tension with everyone looking over their shoulder, expecting a fight to break out any second. Eventually Tara was back in her cell and Buffy was corralling Willow into hers, her terrible excuse for back-up waiting outside the door.

"It's not our fault she's pumped up on magic steroids!"

Spike added, "Saw you getting tossed around yourself!"

"Yeah, slayer."

"Oh what? So now you two are ganging up on me? Getting all buddy-buddy."

Angelus threw his hands up, "Let's not get hasty here."

"Yeah pet. You sure that tree didn't knock a few screws loose?"

"Send your bird over the cuckoo's nest?"

"I knew that was in there somewhere."

"Thanks Spikey."

"Wasn't a compliment. And call me that again and we'll see how many trees it takes to get to the center of that thick scull of yours."

"I'd love to stick around and watch you try but I got a date with that ex of yours. She needs someone to play with and oh, I just thought I'd volunteer. It's been a while since I've been with someone as crazy kinky as her."

"Must be real hard with the prego thing you got going"

"Just stay out here. Make sure she doesn't go running." Buffy rolled her eyes at her boys and closed the door behind her, locking Willow into the anti-magic box with her.

"What do you think you're going to do?" Willow asked calmly, running a hand over the paint on the walls without looking at the vampire, her voice teasing as she paced. "Lock me in here forever? Keep Tara as blackmail? It won't work."

"No. It won't." Buffy smirked at the surprised stop Willow made in tracing the magical pattern on the stone. That was Willow, too self absorbed to think others knew a thing or two about her. "I'm pretty sure you'd find a way to bust out of here eventually."

"So why wait?" Willow smiled and opened her arms with the question. "Why can't we just fight? Is it because you know I will win?"

"No, Willow." Buffy sighed and leaned back against the wall, picking at the nail polish chipping on her thumb nail. Damn Spike for rubbing his bad habits off on her. "Because as powerful as you are, you're still only human."

"Do you want to test that theory?"

"We shouldn't fight."

"Coming from you?" Willow scoffed and started tracing the wall again, mocking Buffy as she paced around her. "You're the one that hates me for doing this to you. For dragging you out of heaven and back down to hell. Or something like that. I tend to tune out when you get over dramatic."

"Well now you're here in hell with me."

"Some revenge plan. What were you even thinking, doing this to me? I'm more powerful than you could ever know."

"No you're not. Like I said, you're still human. A messed up, hellbound human but still human. You'll get tired, need to eat, feel drained. Even that spat in the woods has you huffing and puffing. With all that magic and no soul…still human."

"A human who opened the Sunnydale hellmouth and all dormant ones across the globe."

"So you figured out what the spell was then?"

"I was the one preforming it." Willow had to smile just a bit with the pride she felt for completing such a task. All that magic rushing through her and bursting like fireworks in the sky…it was quite the rush. If she could do that, she could do anything. In fact, she knew she could do anything. She was good. Well not good, good since she was covered in dark magic marks but she was good. "Why? What's the point of bringing the demons out?"

"There's a lot of points but that doesn't matter to you right now. What matters is that you were able to do it." Buffy read her mind, "And you liked it."

"Your point?"

"Where are you gonna go?" Buffy started pacing around, shrugging with the same attitude Willow was giving her and feeding her the start to her proposal. "If you do bust out of here. Grab Tara and head for the hills? Go around killing all the demons you let loose and save the humans? I don't think so. Why would you? You don't care about them. So you'd just be stuck in some cave with all this magic and no way to use it."

"I could use it on you."

"World War Three? Does that seem very smart to you? Demons and humans will take sides. Many will die. Not that we care about anyone dying but you'll be the cause. You already caused so much destruction. It will only continue and you know who will be at the center of it all, right next to you? Tara. Tara will leave you. She couldn't stand to see you all dark before, she can barely look at you now. Do you think you can handle that? Tara leaving you forever? Being all alone?"

"Leave her out of this."

"Right you don't think she will. She loves you." Buffy laughed and pushed into Willow's space, raising her brows questioning if Willow was actually so delusional. "But she loved the _old_ you. The bookworm, shy, doesn't even know she's a lesbian you. You're not that girl anymore. Not since you killed me, hell not since Glory. So maybe you'll find a way to make her stay? That sounds more like it, doesn't it? Take out her soul or just force her to stay by your side with some kind of chain - make her your pet- whatever. I might be able to help you with that."

"I don't want your help."

"You will."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you have option one, bust out of here, take Tara and do whatever the hell it is that you want to do, still ending up alone. Or option two, join me."

"Are you serious right now?"

"I get it. You hate me, I hate you, but we used to be best friends. The old us. I think the new us could be friends too."

"I don't get to kill you and I'm stuck with you 24/7? What do I get out of it?"

"You get to use your magic. As much as you want. As big a spell as you want. No rules. You will help me take over everything. We can own this place. You get everything. Tara too."

"I don't care about ruling over anything."

"But you do want the freedom. The magic. You can have it. You can have anything you want. I already have an army growing. Together we can make anything happen. Or –I mean- option three is we can just kill you. Bummer to waste a witch like you. Poor Tara. All alone here in a nest full of vamps. What ever will we do with her?"

"That's your plan?" Willow snapped at the high pitched mocking tone. "Tempt me with magic? The magic I use to defeat you will be just as sufficient."

"Do you think? Will playing Glinda really work for you? Maybe you'll be able to fool everyone else, Tara, maybe yourself –but not me. Don't you remember what I said? It's like quicksand. You won't be able to stop using dark magic. I don't blame you. I'm all about doing what makes you feel good. But do you really think you'll be able to play for the side of good when all that dark is just floating around? You'll just be stalling the inevitable. Admit it. Didn't it feel just the slightest bit good to feel the life force drain from someone's body because of you?" Willow snapped her dark eyes to Buffy who tingled from the sudden angry stare. "Alright so maybe Tara was a bad example. But we can try someone else. Killing brings a real shot of power that I think you'll enjoy."

"I can see with you."

"Still on that?"

"You locked us up for weeks. You killed Giles and you threatened Tara. You stabbed me. You blame me for making you what you are. You kept me in this cage until you felt you could manipulate me into joining you. You made me kill Tara. Yeah, I'm still on that."

"You did make me Willow. Look at you. Can't you see it?" Willow didn't answer or look down at herself as she glared in the vamp's direction, breathing heavy from her anger. "Stay here." Buffy smirked as she left the room.

She had to admit, she kind of wanted Willow to just say yes off the bat. Why the hell wouldn't she want to join her? It would be great and she didn't have a soul so it wasn't like she would feel obligated to say no. Besides, this side of Willow was the side that sired her. She could feel it in everything she did, every magic spell she sent her way. Sure, she was attacking her, but the connection was still there. It was just some of her whiny goody-goody-always needs to be told what to do- self that was getting in the way. Damn that part of her for lingering. Buffy knew exactly what part of her that was attached to.

Buffy didn't return to the room herself. Instead she opened the door and sent Tara stumbling inside.

"Tara?"

"Willow?" Tara's body curled at the striking sight of the girl walking towards her. She knew who they were pulling her to see but she still couldn't prepare herself for the dramatic change.

"Are you okay?" Willow reached out and tucked the hair out of Tara's face, just like she always did. Only, Tara couldn't see the love in her eyes at the action. All she could see was her terrified reflection blinking back tears in the black.

Willow didn't notice. All she could feel was relief at seeing Tara unharmed, along with some guilt for almost causing her more with her reckless fight with Buffy. Oh and she supposed she should feel a bit guilty for stabbing her in the chest, even though it was to save her.

Sliding her finger down, she traced over Tara's cheek and down a small scrape lining her face. "You're hurt."

Tara tried not to flinch at the touch but couldn't help her body's natural reaction. "It's just a scratch."

"I'll fix it for you." Willow put her palm over the small red mark and Tara felt it heat as the dark magic healed her just as it had with her knife wounds in the woods.

Tara pushed away and crossed her fingers over the place the wound used to be. "It was just a scratch."

"And I fixed it."

"I didn't ask you to do that."

"Does it matter?"

"Willow…" Tara's mouth fell open and the stuffy air in the small space started to suffocate as her words were lost to the hiccup of a sob, crawling quickly up and forcing tears to fall down her newly healed cheek.

"What? What's wrong?" Tara refused to be pulled into a hug by her, confusing Willow, who tried to step closer but Tara only backed away again. "It's just me. You don't have to be scared. Tara?"

"What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Again Tara flinched away when she tried to reach out for her and Willow started to feel the sting of rejection. "The spell? It opened up the hellmouths but I can fix it. I'm sure there's a counter spell somewhere."

"A counter spell? You know they require balance. You're just going to kill someone else?"

"I didn't really kill you. You came back."

"You didn't know if I would! You could have died yourself."

"I knew you wouldn't. I knew I wouldn't."

"How? How could you just know?"

"What does it matter? We're both alive."

"You don't have a soul!"

"So? That doesn't mean I don't still love you. Come on. We can find the counter spell and get out of here. Buffy's plan will have failed and it'll be just the two of us. We can leave this place, leave Sunnydale. Leave the hellmouth. Go far away and leave it all behind. We can get that house we always talked about. The one with an entire room just for the cat and with the big backyard and the hammock."

"The house? You mean the one we would get plenty of bedrooms so everyone can visit? Like Dawn? And Giles? And Buffy?"

"Well we don't have to get a lot of bedrooms."

"A lot of- Willow we need to fix you."

"Fix me?"

"Get your soul back. Get this dark magic out of you." Tara gestured around the physical evidence on Willow's body, the tears still falling as her voice turned more and more pleading. "We can find other witches. Good witches. I'm sure there's a coven that would be willing to help."

"But why would I do that? I wouldn't be able to defeat Buffy. I wouldn't have the power to close the hellmouths back up. I would be useless."

"You wouldn't be useless. We could get the others and help you and find help out there."

"The others?" Xander, Anya, Cordelia. "Oh, right. I forgot about them."

"See, Willow you're not you. We need to get you help and then we can worry about all of this."

"I don't want that. I want you safe. That's all."

"You can't just shove this aside. Look at you! Look at your hands." Tara stepped forward and threw her fear away as she grabbed her girlfriends mutilated hands to show her, as if she couldn't see for herself. "You're not well."

"I feel fine."

"Baby, just please let me help you."

"I'm not going to get help I don't need."

Tara continued to shake her head, the tears falling over too fast as she closed her eyes and gripped Willow's hands tighter. "You can't do this to me."

"Do what? I'm not doing anything to you."

"You're breaking my heart." Willow watched with eyes furrowed as Tara slipped her hands away and backed into the wall as if it would support her better.

"I love you." Willow whispered out, taking a few steps closer but not touching her again. She didn't want to see the recoil. "Don't you love me?"

"I do." Tara gasped out while staring at the floor, her eyes darting up for only a second before falling back down, her tears falling right after. "Just not…you're so different. I love you but-"

"There shouldn't be any buts. I love you. I can take you away and we can be together. Just the two of us."

"Sweetie I can't-"

"You girls done making out?" Buffy smashed into the room with Spike and Angelus tagging behind, Spike grabbing Tara out of the room, Angelus staying for a moment longer.

"I could get used to her." Angelus let his eyes linger over the furious dark witch. "Those eyes and that body- ooh Red we're gonna have to get a new name for you. Come spend the night with me and Dru and we'll see if we can't get you one."

"Get out Angelus." Buffy sighed.

"Well if the other one broke up with her why can't I-"

"Out!" Buffy waited until the door clicked behind him –Willow glaring at it as it shut. "She wanted to fix you didn't she?"

Willow answered by spinning around and glaring at the wall. All she could feel was anger and confusion. She didn't feel sad or broken like she would when disappointing Tara before. She supposed that was due to her missing soul. But why should she feel that way? It wasn't her fault and Tara didn't need to blame her for wanting to care for her.

Buffy slid up behind her and added quietly, "You don't need to be fixed."

"How can you help me?" Willow growled, Angelus' words spinning in her head. _Broke up with her_. No. She couldn't lose Tara. Tara loved her and wanted to be with her. She just didn't understand. Willow would just have to make her understand. "With her? Before you said you could. What did you mean?"

Buffy smiled coyly and slipped up next to Willow, wrapping her arm around her back and sliding it over her shoulder, just like she used to. "Let me tell you about the gypsy I stole that knife from."

* * *

The next night Buffy, Dawn, Angelus, Spike, Dru, Darla, and a handful of fledgling vamps all crowded the space outside the mansion as they watched Willow work. Tara was gagged and watching in the arms of a fledgling in the back.

"I already said I wouldn't use magic on you. You didn't need to bring in the cavalry." Willow gestured to the young vamps as she passed Buffy, putting the finishing touches on a summoning spell.

Having the closet full of all the Magic Box things was proving to come quite in handy. She felt more than exhausted waking that afternoon. Physically, her body had to take some kind of toll and she sure could feel it. Not only did she wake up with a nosebleed and the headache but she also felt beyond sick to her stomach. Like she had caught the goddamn flu at some point during the night. There wasn't much else she could do but another spell to wake up so she could fix the situation with Tara and move onto finding a way to get past it. It was just because, as Buffy continuously reminded her, she was human. So even though she was strong…it would take time to get used to it.

"Yeah well you have no soul so I don't trust you." Buffy smirked when Willow glared at her for saying something so silly.

"Funny."

"Hey Willow? Do you think you could do a magic spell to age me?"

"Dawn." Dawn had taken Willow's changing with a jump for joy. The first thing she said when she saw Willow sitting in their living room was, "Look at your eyes. That's so cool! I wish my eyes did that. Gold is cool but –you know- they're not like that all the time." Everyone was understandably cautious but Dawn felt like they were getting the gang back together. The improved version of the gang that she could actually be a part of.

"What? I'm sick of everyone calling me a kid. It went from all our old friends to all our new ones. Alive, dead- I can't catch a break here."

"Oh come on Little Bit. Then I won't be able to call you Little Bit." Spike ruffled her hair which had her glaring, her eyes flashing a bit of that gold to make herself seem more threatening.

"Would everyone shut up?" Darla shouted from behind over a mouthful of Thai food. "I've already got a headache."

"Shhhhhhh. You'll wake uncle." Dru was back to petting Darla's stomach as Darla shook her head and continued to eat above her.

"She keeps calling it uncle." Buffy sneered in their direction.

"So?" Dawn asked.

"Well if she calls Angelus daddy –creepy by the way with what you two did last night. Wouldn't that make the baby her brother?"

"Ew. So it's her uncle and her brother?"

"Don't that just make your head hurt." Spike smirked and nodded to get Angelus' attention. "Way to keep incest well and alive, granddad."

"Call me that again Spikey."

"You can all shut up." Willow yelled over them before the fight started. "I'm ready."

"Go ahead." Buffy nodded at her and moved out of the way, yelling to the fledglings in the back. "Someone bring Tara up here."

Willow started chanting as Tara was brought into their circle by the vamp. Everyone smiled sweetly at her as they waited for Willow to finish. In a way, it made her feel like she was lined up for the gallows. When they took her from her cell Willow tried to tell her that it would all be okay and they would be together but without her soul it just made it sound like she was going to die and that their souls would be the ones together. Again, there wasn't much else she could do but scream behind her gag and be forced by the evil things surrounding her to comply to their will.

Willow circled the spot she was summoning with a sort of skip in her step. Though she did feel exhausted from earlier, she could not refuse that sense of empowerment running through her as the magic within worked her will. Everything tingled with the sensation it gave her and the best thing was she didn't have to hide it. She didn't care to hide it. She let the wind whip around her and smiled as she finished chanting.

Buffy watched with a grin as she felt the connection between them bubble to the surface of her consciousness. She could feel her sire enjoying the power rippling around her and Buffy could feel some of that euphoria herself, her hand slipping down to grab at Spike's so she wouldn't be tempted to join Willow in the middle. It was hard to remember the old Willow then, the one that decided to rip her down and ruin her happiness. Dark Willow was a vast improvement in her eyes, no pun intended, and though there was a great wall of hate and tension between them, there was also that base connection. They were both women with great power and they were bound to clash but they were bound for great things as well.

In a flash of light and smoke, Willow raised her hands up and suddenly another body started to form in the middle of them all. Soon, the gypsy Florica could be seen from behind the haze, steaming mad and glaring at the circle of vampires surrounding her. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Hello gypsy!" Buffy shouted happily, still enjoying a bit of Willow's power-induced happiness.

Florica snapped to her and glared at the couple, running her eyes over them and lingering a bit at their attached hands. "You."

"I got that soul for you."

"I have a phone you know."

"Eh. Didn't want to wait. Here you go." Buffy gestured towards Tara who, with fear filled eyes, was forced to stumble towards the gypsy. "Purest soul you're ever gonna find."

Florica walked up to the girl and stepped around her body, a hand raised at chest level as she closed her eyes and did whatever witch mojo she was doing. "She is pure. But she doesn't seem very willing. I said a willing soul."

"She will be willing." Buffy snapped and the fledgling dropped his fangs and hovered them above her neck.

"That will not work for me." Florica ruffled her hair and snapped to the leading vamp with hands on her hips. "I need her to be willing. Completely. Threats and torture will not work."

"What's the difference? You get a soul no matter what."

"A willing soul is much more powerful than an unwilling. This is not the payment I asked."

"Tara," Willow walked forward and blocked her from the gypsy, trying to look comforting even with the dark in her eyes. "Please. Once it's done, you'll see. It'll be better. For both of us. We can be together."

Willow had tried to talk to her about it when first waking her and bringing her from the cell to come outside but Tara only refused. She kept saying she wanted to fix Willow, something that truly got on her nerves. She didn't need to be fixed. She understood how Buffy felt now, with everyone telling her the same. Willow shook her head when she thought about it. She refused to empathize with someone she logically thought of as her enemy. Logic was something that seemed so much clearer to her now, with no morals to complicate her true feelings and knowledge. She didn't need to be fixed. She was pure. There was nothing wrong with her. Tara just refused to see the logic she did.

Willow continued to plead with her eyes, mentally trying to push into Tara's mind to show her the logic of this path but she was blocked instantly. Tara continued to shake her head, petrified from all the threats around her, but she wasn't letting her in. Not this time. This was not her Willow and she was not going to make her give up her soul. She couldn't be like her.

"I'm waiting." Florica tapped her feet and Willow snapped back around.

"Give it a minute."

"Oh look at you." Florica smiled her devilishly fake smile and walked closer to the dark witch, holding up her hand and walking around the same way she had with Tara. "You really let it take you didn't you? No control. How sad." In a flash Florica blinked and her eyes turned to orbs of black, much like Willow's. Willow's eyes widened as Florica blinked again and turned them back to their natural hazel.

"How did you do that?"

"You just have to be stronger than the magic. I see you're not. What a shame. Without a soul too. How strange."

"What do you mean?"

"You are out of time." Florica flipped to Buffy, Spike, and Angelus. "I'm done waiting. The hellmouths are open and the demand for my skills is too high. I cannot waste my time with you."

"They've only been open for one night!" Buffy growled, dropping Spike's hand so she could throw her hands on her hips.

"Yes and many demons crawled out in that short amount of time. The spike in demon activity was noticeable and many rely on magic for protection. Even now you have pulled me from a LA meeting with a high class family asking for a prediction. It takes great concentration and you have interrupted mine. For your sake, I hope they have not yet left."

"Hey!" Buffy yelled as Florica flipped around and stood back in the center of their circle, the same spot she had appeared. "We gave you what you wanted!"

"No you didn't! And you will pay the price." Florica smiled and raised her hand as Buffy shouted at Willow.

"Don't let her go anywhere!"

As Willow raised her hands to trap the gypsy down, a loud blast sounded out and all were hit with a large gust of wind and smoke coming from the middle of their circle as Florica disappeared in a shining orange explosion.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy screamed at Willow. "You can't hold down one measly gypsy?!"

"I did what you asked! It's not my fault you broke your deal with her."

"I didn't break it! I gave her what she wanted. She's just a stupid bitch who didn't take it!"

"Oh you- You stupid, stupid-" Spike groaned behind her, pacing back and forth with a hand on his head, the other diving for his pockets to pull out his cigarettes.

"And what's wrong with you?" Buffy snapped at him, watching him pace.

"You did blood magic with her. Do you even realize- Ugh! You stupid-"

"Oh you complete moron!" Angelus yelled for him and started to throw his tantrum in Buffy's face. "You bargained for my soul over blood magic?! We're screwed! Royally fucked! Straight up the ass!"

"Swim fast. The current won't lead you home." Dru babbled from the edge, pretending to swim in place. If she was even pretending. No one really knew with her.

"So what?!" Buffy snapped at the boys, moving to the middle of the circle and gesturing at the burnt ground Florica disappeared into. "I'll just kill her and we can get your soul and lock it up."

"That won't work." Darla said with the same level of frustration as everyone else. "It's blood magic. If you kill her the magic won't disappear."

"And you couldn't have told me that?" Buffy turned to Spike.

"I did! I tried to warn you but you weren't listening. You were all on about your plan and getting your bloody poof of a-"

"I will punch you in the face so hard." Buffy growled at him before Dawn caught her attention.

"What about kidnapping her?"

"After she just magicked outta here?" Willow asked sarcastically. "You really think that will work?"

"We can stick her in your cell." Dawn said defensively, crossing her arms with a smile.

"Alright that might work." Buffy nodded. "Just don't worry about it."

"Might work? Don't worry about it? It's my soul! I don't want that quivering defender of puppies shoved back inside! Do you know how depressing that guy is?"

"You're the same person!" Buffy screamed back.

"I will punch you in the face so hard!" Angelus parroted back at her.

"She probably already sold it!" Buffy shouted, pacing around, feeling the panic she wasn't supposed to be feeling creeping up. "Don't worry until there's a reason to."

"You better be right. If you fucked this up over something as stupid as blood magic I'm going to kill you. As me or as that pansy ass Angel. I will turn you to ash. Dead. No more popping back from the dead. Done. Forever."

"Why is everyone so dramatic?" Buffy huffed as Angelus stomped away and headed straight for the mansion.

"You and you." Darla pointed to a few fledglings. "Carry me back. Come on girls, we can watch the rest of _Titanic_. I want to see more of Leonardo. Preferably with his shirt off." Darla was picked up begrudgingly by the vamps she pointed to as Dru and Dawn jogged along. Dru jumped up against another vamp and he was forced to catch her and carry her as well. Dawn looked around and the fledglings next to her. They shrugged and lifted her up as well and she giggled and pointed to the mansion, "To Leonardo!"

"Does that mean us too?" Willow wondered out loud, looking over at Tara who was completely uninterested in anything she had to say. She was just staring at the ground, ignoring everyone and everything. Willow did not notice as she led the way, Tara being pushed by the fledgling with his fangs still hanging down. Willow wasn't sure what she was going to do now but _Titanic_ didn't sound that bad.

"The rest of you can go." Buffy nodded at the fledglings left and turned to Spike with a glare as they started to do what she said. "Not you."

"Good for me." Spike mumbled over his cigarette but stayed all the same until they were alone. "So what's it gonna be then? Tree as a baseball bat? Only a matter of time with how much we're talking bout it."

"Stop teasing or I'll do it." Buffy could only manage a small laugh before tapping her foot and looking up anxiously. "I just wanted to know more about this blood magic. Even if we did kidnap her, would it matter?"

"I don't know pet. Maybe. Depends on how pissed she is. She could shove his soul back whenever she wants as long as she has it. Her being in LA might be a good thing. Buy us some time."

"Well if she does put it back...we have to kill Angel."

"Well now I'm almost hoping she does. Be nice to stick one to granddad."

Buffy snorted and slapped him playfully on the arm, "You need therapy. Anyone ever told you that?"

"Might have." He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and rolled his tongue behind his teeth. "I ate them before they could get it all out."

"Not a good listener. I think that's in session one." Buffy smirked at him before nodding to follow the vamps back up to the house. "Oh!" She turned before he could take a step. "I almost forgot!" She pulled back and slammed her hand into the back of his head, sending him straight for the ground, his face falling on a pile of dirt. He groaned and jumped up, absolutely furious and dropped into his demon face. She smiled and stole the bent cigarette from his mouth and stuck it in her mouth. "That was for calling me stupid. Told you I would punch you."

"Not my fault you don't know how to listen. Maybe you're the one needing therapy."

"Maybe I should hit you again."

"Maybe you should try."

Before she could blink Spike was off running up to the mansion and she smiled, taking straight off to catch up, throwing the cigarette back to the dirt and hunting him down until she found him in their room, sprawled out on their bed with a suggestive smirk on his face. He was getting too good at making her forgive him so easily.

* * *

Angelus was mad. Cordy could tell that much as he kicked a boot into her again and again. He grabbed her roughly by the arms and pushed her against the wall screaming something about Buffy but she had stopped listening a long time ago. It was when he tossed her across the room that she was the one starting to scream. Her head hit the floor and the burst of pain was usual but the pain that followed was not.

She screamed and curled her body into a ball as the vision ripped her body apart from the inside. It was bad when she was back in LA with painkillers and physical damage she had to hide from her friends but it was so much worse without the medicine and being on full display for the evil thing who was only adding to her body's mutilation.

It was hard to make out at first but unlike the spell with Tara, the images were moving slow enough for her to see small flashes. First she could see the blackest of eyes, like those she had seen on Willow in her dream. Then there was absolute chaos with demons running too fast to distinguish and great beasts that looked like mutated wolves running around with glowing red eyes, one ripping into her leg and sinking it's teeth around her calf, making her scream so loud she could even hear it over the sounds of the vision. Then she felt familiar presences surround her. She couldn't make out who they were or what they were doing but she felt safer, safer than she had felt in a very long time. Then there was a light, a bright glowing white light that took over everything and sent the demon wolf running. If her mind could make out one thing in that light it was the feeling of love she had refused to believe in from the start. It was the way she felt when around Angel. Her Angel.

The vision ended and she found herself upright with Angelus leaning into her space, licking a bit of blood from his hand. She looked down and saw the damage the vision-wolf-demon left behind. It wouldn't kill her but she would kill for some painkillers. Angelus wouldn't give them to her though. He knew about the damage the visions now caused, loving to hold that over her head, but it was only more ammo for him.

"What did you see?" Cordy looked into his dark soulless eyes and laughed. Laughed and laughed and laughed. He grabbed her again and shook her, pulling her hair so she looked up at him. "What did you see?"

"Oh Angel." She continued to laugh as his face morphed with deadly rage at hearing that name. "You're gonna lose." She laughed again right before a fist collided with her temple and knocked her out cold on the ground.

* * *

Buffy had sent a group of fledglings out with Angelus to find Florica immediately after hearing about Cordelia's vision. He left in a huff as he led the group of cars out to the highway, saying he would fix her mess and come back to remind her why she shouldn't do something so stupid again. Of course, his phrasing involved a lot more swearing and hyperactive yelling.

The next night, Buffy had taken a group with her, Spike, and Willow into town to do some kind of spell or something. That left Dawn with Dru, Darla, a couple fledglings, and the humans back at the mansion. Dawn didn't really mind being left behind this time. Buffy was just cranky and no fun to be around with her worrying about Angelus becoming Angel. She even snapped at her that night about borrowing some of her clothes. But what else was Dawn supposed to wear? She needed to go shopping.

Dawn didn't really want to spend time with Angelus when he was on a rampage anyway. Darla and Dru really were growing on her so she didn't mind in the slightest as she sat down with her vodka, passing the time until they would go out shopping by listening to the two talk about their time causing havoc as the first real undead group to ignore the vampire laws and go out into the world.

"Dru and I had left them for one night and you would believe that men as old as they are would be able to handle themselves-"

"No?" Dawn smiled as Dru shook her head and Darla continued.

"No. We returned to find them both chained on the bed- to each other."

"Locked in an unwanted embrace." Dru giggled.

"We still don't know how it happened. They were talking about pies before they realized we could hear them. Then they just started yelling at each other about whose fault it was. Then the best part-"

"We left them." Dru giggled again.

"For a whole week," Darla added on between her own giggles. "They were so livid."

While they were all laughing together about the image that created, a young vamp came slamming into the room shouting, "Outside! Slayer!"

"What? Buffy's back?" Dawn asked and the vamp shook her head. Dawn shared a look with the other vamps before jumping up and dropping her fangs, the two behind her doing the same as they made their way outside to the very damaged front door.

"Hey, brat. Big sis home?"


	28. Let's Save The World

"And look at you brat." Faith smiled casually and sucked in her dark red lip between her teeth. "New set of fangs you got there. Didn't really expect you to follow in big sis' footsteps. Then again, you were always wagging your tail after her. Guess it shouldn't have been a surprise. Too bad. There'll be no more Summers left. No more summers left...is that a song? Sounds like line from something."

"And look at you Faith." Dawn greeted with a similar smile hiding behind her fangs. "Get off on good behavior?"

"Good behavior isn't really what gets me off." She shrugged with her thumbs looped in the pockets of her jeans and started moseying closer. "I just heard about all the fun B's been having and couldn't wait to see her again. So is she home or what?"

"She's not here slayer." Darla slipped out from behind Dawn and turned her own demon face on the girl.

"But you are!" Faith laughed, stepping back and gesturing towards the new vamp. "Hell. What did you do? Swallow a watermelon?"

"Don't eat the seeds." Dru joined from behind. "They grow in your belly."

"Solid advice. I'll remember that one." Faith nodded sarcastically as she slipped a stake out from her back pocket. "We can even put it on your tombstone. Well…does ash get a tombstone?"

"What do you plan to do Faith?" Dawn sneered as the fledgling vamps that stayed behind joined them outside, circling the slayer and blocking off any exit she could take. "We have you surrounded."

Faith made a show of looking around and nodding her head. "So you do. But hey where's my buddy Angel at huh? I heard he dropped the cute and cuddly, went a little more dark and sexy. Oh, and murdery. I guess that too."

Dawn tilted her head at the genuine worry she saw on the slayer's face when mentioning Angel. It wasn't like her to actually care. Her joking was just not mocking enough. She knew Angel had tried to help Faith and he was part of the reason she went to jail, something she overheard the others talking about, but she had been in jail for years. It was probably nothing, so she ignored it in favor of moving closer as Darla answered for her.

"Angelus isn't here either." Darla started to walk around the slayer, Dru walking the opposite direction as Dawn held the front.

"Oh that's too bad. I was really hoping to hit two birds with one stone…or stake or whatever. You know, get this redemption train a chugging."

"Redemption?" Dawn chuckled bitterly at Faith's charade of a chugging train. "You call killing my sister redemption? It's just finishing what you started."

"Tomato, tomäto. I wouldn't be slaying her if she wasn't evil and trying to take over the world. Very original of her by the way. Like we haven't heard that one before. Been there, stopped that."

"That's the point."

"Oh no, I get it. Being the slayer is a thankless job and my moral campus isn't exactly pointing due north so I wouldn't mind a bit of payback but I wouldn't throw a worldwide temper tantrum over it. I mean, I guess I kinda did with the whole Mayor thing but that wasn't really me doing it. Just helping. Anyway, what she's doing just seems kind of sad really. And dragging poor Willow into it too?" Faith shook her head and tisked, her finger brushing over the tip of her stake.

"And what are you gonna do Faith?" Dawn threw her hands out and onto her hips in the classic Summers' bring-it-on pose. "All alone in a circle full of vamps ready to rip out your heart?"

"Ooh." Faith wiggled her body as the fledglings surrounding her seemed to hum with the mention, antsy to attack. "Those be fighting words. See, now that's the behavior that gets me off."

Dru caught their attention with her moan as she twisted her head around and snapped her gaze back to the mansion. "She's not alone."

"Others?" Dawn asked, looking at Faith who was trying to look as sarcastically innocent as possible -throwing out her arms and tilting her head far to the side. Dawn sniffed the air and listened close. There were others. She could smell new humans mixing with the ones held captive and there were shouts to run and the sound of a door unlocking. No one was in there to stop it because all the vamps were outside preparing to fight the slayer. How could she have missed this?! Dawn snapped to the reason for the failure and screamed at Faith, "Were you just trying to distract me with pointless talking?!"

"Like I said, I've been doing this a while. Plus we had basic in prison. You gotta know how to distract the bad guys-"

"Till the backup arrives." All turned at the voice behind them to see the tall looming frame of Gunn blocking the doorway with a crossbow rested at the ready on his arm. Behind him came Wesley -also prepared with a crossbow and stake- and from behind him came Xander and Tara -both with a stake in their hands.

Dawn growled at the sight of the freed prisoners and looked the speaker up and down. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the one that's gonna dust your vampire ass if you and your team of the undead don't stand down."

"My dear boy, I can feel the testosterone from here." Darla smirked and looked back at the ailing Xander and lanky Wesley. "Well not so much from you."

Wesley looked up to Gunn and frowned to himself mumbling, "I have a crossbow too."

"Oh yes. What large equipment you both yield. Forgive me for not swooning at the size of your stakes." She dropped her voice to a whisper and added, "I've seen bigger."

"Look lady," Gunn said. "Pregnant or not I will gank your evil self if you do not step away from the slayer."

"What the matter Xander?" Dawn asked, taking a bit of pleasure at seeing the two rescued humans, the ones who -in an earlier life- mocked her for being so frail, looking like the undead surrounding them as they swayed for support. "No cleverly worded pun like your friend here?"

"I'm sorry Dawn." Xander spoke, his voice cracking and the gaze he gave her hollow -as if he were already dead inside. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. For what Buffy did to you. I'm sorry it's all our fault. Maybe we should have listened to you more. When you were human. Maybe you would have stopped us. But you're not you. You're not the Dawn I love. She's dead. You're the monster that killed her. That drank from me because you didn't feel like going out. The one that told me every day how much more of her was- that brought the body to me. The soulless bitch that killed Anya." Xander's voice faulted and his head fell only to rise again when Tara grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. His eyes now watery, he breathed deep and let his voice fall flat and dead again. "There is nothing to laugh about here. I'm not joking when I say you won't survive. I'm going to stop you for what you did."

"Another vengeance kick?" Dawn asked with a smirk, completely unaffected by the shaky display. "There's been a lot of those going around, hasn't there?"

"I hear it's a dish best served cold." Gunn said, taking aim with his large stake and crossbow again. "Fits doesn't it? With all these corpses walking around."

Dawn smiled up at the boy with the crossbow aimed at her heart and called back to Darla and Dru. "Girls? What do you say?"

"I want that one." Dru pointed at Wesley with a seductive smirk crossing her lips. "He looks sweet like pudding." Her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip at the sight of the tasty treat before she started to chant. "Eat him up. Eat him up. Eat him up."

Darla shrugged and gestured down to her stomach, "I could use some blood. Feeding two really is an inconvenience."

"So we're good then? Done yapping?" Faith asked, clapping her hands together, reminding them she was still stuck in the center. "Boys! And tiny little witch lady, whose name I don't remember."

"Tara." Dawn supplied her.

"Right! Red's stuttering sweetheart. Boys and Tara," Faith threw up her arms and gestured to the vamp nest they had themselves woven into. "Let's save the world!"

Faith launched herself at Dawn but was pulled back by Darla from behind and thrown into Dru's arms. She punched back her arm and slammed Dru right in the face sending Dru away from her body so she could punch the oncoming pregnant vampire in the jaw. Dawn came next, using her momentary distraction from the punch to grab Faith by the shoulders and twist her to the ground.

On the outside of the circle, Gunn shot off his crossbow and hit one of the fledgling vamps, the demon bursting into ash on contact. The other vampires continued to charge at them, Wesley taking aim and killing the next as Xander and Tara twisted the stakes in their hands for a better grip. It was four to one and the two rescued prisoners were not used to fighting in the first place and had been out of practice for a long time. They had gotten better since taking over patrol after Buffy died but they weren't ready for this. They could barely keep themselves upright and the moon was blinding. They couldn't help feeling like they didn't have a chance.

Dawn had Faith pinned on the ground, her fangs shining in the moon as she growled and slipped her hands up around her neck. Faith just smiled and gave a small cough from lack of air before folding her body up and kicking Dawn from behind, sending her over her head and into the side of the semi-truck. With a twist of her body, Dawn grabbed the edge of the box on the truck and slammed a leg into Faith's side sending her head colliding with the metal in a bang. She twisted to the back of her and grabbed the slayer by the shoulders, throwing her away in one powerful push.

Faith was back to stability soon as she adjusted the stake in her hands and flipped around, winging her legs on the back of Dawn's. Dawn tumbled a bit but punched out in time to collide with Faith's blocking arm, only having to block a punch thrown her way as well. Faith chuckled as the blows continued to swing back and forth, the direction shifting from the truck back to the others grouped around. "Oh I missed this!" She gave a harsh kick to Dawn's middle and sent her rolling to the ground. "Kicking ass and taking names."

Dawn spat the dirt from her mouth and looked up with a smile. "I've always wanted to kick your ass."

"Well you're not doing a good job. 'Sides, I remember a time when you would have kissed it." Faith threw her voice to mimic the annoying whines of a preteen. "Buffy's the slayer. Faith's the slayer.  I'm not the slayer. Why are they so special? Why is Buffy spending so much time with Faith? Why isn't she spending time with me?" Faith chuckled again as she crept closer and Dawn inched away in an attempt to swing them back around. "I remember how you were. I remember you stealing my lipstick and wearing it around thinking it would get her attention. Is that what this is? Become a vamp so she'll pay attention to you? I hate to break it to you but it's not gonna work. Alive or dead the only thing Buffy pays attention to is herself."

"Now whose the lost puppy? Still in love with her, begging for her approval? Sounds to me like you're the one aiming to kiss her ass."

"No. I'm going to do something like this." Faith raised the stake back and started to charge but was caught by two fledgling vamps from behind who threw the stake away and tossed it to the ground.

Many of the other fledglings were helping Darla and Dru who had decided to start fighting the four humans trapped in front of the mansion. The two elder vamps stuck to the back as they watched for a bit, letting the humans get tired and the fledglings have a turn before going in for their kill.

A good portion had been dusted as Gunn and Wesley were good with their crossbows but they still left a daunting amount to combine for the attack. Gunn threw a lighter and some lighter fluid at Xander and yelled, "As many as you can!"

Xander ran forward, trying to remember how to use his beaten limbs as he opened the cap and squeezed the fluid out, hitting a handful before being forced to trip back by more coming from behind. He reached around for the small silver lighter but his face bugged out in horror when it was no longer behind his stake, having fallen to the ground. The vamps were getting closer and as they tried to reach for him, Tara came running from behind to try and help.

The others weren't faring well either as they ran out of stakes for their crossbows and had turned to hand to hand. They were taking on three each, Gunn kicking down one vamp for a kill before being pushed away by another. When he was slammed into the stone wall of the mansion for a third time he screamed, "Wesley do it now!"

"Now?!" Wesley shouted back as he pushed the vamps away with a cross pulled from his pocket, some steering clear of the burning wood and throwing a kick at the other while shouting, "Back!"

"Yes now!" Gunn screamed as he avoided a punch that sent stone crashing down from where his head had just been. "You can't as a vampire's chew toy now can you?!"

"Good point."

Wesley pushed more vamps away as Gunn started to run along the wall and shout, "Hey! You undead freaks! Yeah you guys. You want a real fight? Or are you just gonna stand there with your fangs between your legs?!" With the distraction, Wesley had managed to slink to a hidden corner tucked away by the woods unnoticed. Gunn started running and the fledgling vamps followed after finding Wesley had disappeared.

"How stupid are the young vampires these days?" Darla chastised as she watched Gunn run and the herd of ADD idiots follow behind. "You get yours then dear." She said turning to Dru and gesturing in the direction Wesley ran off. "I don't feel like running. I'll take something a little easier." Darla started to walk towards Xander and Tara, both fighting for their lives as they fended off the group of fledglings still surrounding them with their stakes and a lot of fancy footwork.

As Dru and Darla parted, their spot was take up by Faith who, after having been grabbed, had twisted the two fledglings into each other, picked up her stake and slayed one before Dawn tossed her again. The other one tried to help but Faith found it too easy to slay a vamp only a day old, not even needing to look as she sent the stake through its heart. That led to more punches between her and Dawn, both blocking the other with unnatural speed, neither tiring from the action.

In one punch Faith had aimed a bit too high and flinched her hand back with a gasp as her skin opened up on Dawn's fang. Dawn smelled the blood and licked it from her tooth, laughing and humming from the spicy taste of the slayer blood. "I thought you'd be more of a fight."

"I'm just getting warmed up."

"Then let's see what you got, Faithy."

"Oh you are so paying for calling me that." Faith chucked the stake to the ground and dove again, grabbing Dawn by the back of her shirt and slamming her head into the side of the stone bricks. Dawn tried to fight back but the slayer was mad now and she didn't stop. She slammed again and again and again until the blood was pouring from Dawn's temple and her undead body fell to the ground unconscious. Faith went back for her stake but as soon as she picked it up she heard the loud scream of the stuttering witch.

Xander and Tara had both been thrown as the lighter-fluid-covered vamps took their turns tossing them around like a frisbee, a few leaving to chase after Gunn and a few helping Dawn with the slayer. It was when one vamp tossed Tara to the ground that she smiled in excitement and picked up the shining object from the grass, slipping back the starter and lighting the flames up. She blindly reached out and in a poof the fluid caught on and so did the corpses, all lighting up one after the other, the proximity causing one huge fireball as the vampires poofed into dust, one by one.

Tara looked up from the ground and shared a smile with Xander just before the kick to his head sent him to the ground. Tara watched in horror as behind the poofing vampires came Darla, the smoke curling over her pregnant belly before spinning under the fangs slipping from her face. She reached down over her large stomach and cupped Tara's neck with deadly precision, picking her up off the ground and effectively cutting off her scream. She gasped and tried to peel the vampire's strong fingers back but she was too weak.

"Oh yes. You'll do nicely." Darla smiled to herself and pulled the frightened human closer, caught in a trance at the purity she held. "You smell so sweet. So innocent. So-"

Darla gasped, her mouth falling open in complete shock as she looked down to see the tip of a stake peeking out from her chest, directly where her heart lay. Faith ripped the stake back from behind and Tara fell to the ground as Darla tripped back, confused as to how she missed the slayer sneaking up on her. She was hundreds of years old! How could this happen?

"No." She gasped, feeling her body start to float away from her. "It wasn't supposed to end like this." She shook her head and looked down at her stomach. "For me. For him. We were all going to be together. Destroying the world."

"Now you're not." Faith shrugged and adjusted the stake again, ready to strike in case the first attack did not work.

The ashes started to fall from Darla's skin as she stared ahead, everything crumbling from her being until she was a pile of ash dusting over an unidentifiable mass. Faith didn't let the death affect her. She couldn't think about the vampire being pregnant, she couldn't wonder how it was possible, she couldn't wonder if the baby was evil, she couldn't wonder how far along it was, she wouldn't be able to handle it. She had to do it to save Tara.  It was her job.  So, she looked away. Because she had to.

Instead, she turned to Tara and asked, "Are you okay?" Tara closed her eyes and nodded her head as Faith turned back to Xander. She ducked down and pulled him to his feet as he nursed his aching head.

On the other side of the castle, Wesley had moved as fast as he could. In front of him was everything they had hidden in the woods including the handwritten words of the gypsy's spell, candles, animal bones, runic stones, incense, the orb, the small vial of blood, and the final item he pulled to the circle was the glass bottle pulsing a white light from the source within.

"Oooh, pretty." Dru slinked over and slid up next to him as he held the bottle in his hands, dipping her head to the same level so she could watch it glow. "You've caught an angel in a bottle." Wesley gulped and backed away, reaching for the cross in his pocket and holding it out. Of course, Dru wasn't merely a fledgling and she did not reel back from the sight or feel of the symbol. "You naughty boy, playing with heavenly toys."

"Stay away Drusilla." Wesley attempted to stay calm and emit some sense of power but she was just slipping closer, batting his hand back as he moved the soul in his arms like a football, keeping it away from her.

"I just wanted to play with you." Dru pouted and moved closer, waving her fingers in front of Wesley's face and watching as his eyes glazed over at the continuous movement. "Don't you want to play with me?" Wesley started to sway with the hand, falling under its spell as he found his will draining, her voice enchanting, her fingers dancing... That was just as Gunn came crashing out of the bushes and slammed into the vampire's side, knocking her away before her fangs could make contact with Wesley's neck.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gunn yelled as he rose to his feet and attempted to dust himself off. He was exhausted from fighting so many vamps at once. They had hidden holy water behind the mansion and that slowed a bunch of them down but many still put up a fight. In the tag teaming, he had been fighting off as many as four vamps at a time, being thrown repeatedly into the hard stone of the mansion, earning many scrapes. Mostly he was just wondering why they had to fight the vamps next to the stone castle. Wasn't there a nice fluffy patch of grass he could kick their ass on? The pain brought his thoughts back to the fight with Drusilla as one arm was particularly sensitive from a hard shove by one of the many fledglings. He was pretty sure his shoulder was near out of socket but they were dead and he was not. Yet.

"Sorry. Yes, sorry. I was just- I don't know-" Wesley shook his head and came back to himself, moving to the circle he had crated for the spell and starting it off.

"Alright crazy," Gunn jumped up and down to shake off the pain and get ready for the big fight. "It's just you and me."

Dru smiled back and started to sway as she looked her opponent up and down. "Big man with big muscles." She started to laugh excitedly as she pet her arms up and down. "You'll be dinner, before dessert." As she looked over at Wesley, Gunn made his move, pushing her into the wall before she flipped him around and pushed her nails into his bad shoulder, ripping past his jacket and into his skin and pulling back with a sigh, licking the blood from her nails. He charged again before dipping away, leading her back as she started to crawl after him.

Wesley found it hard but he only focused on his mission as Dru and Gunn moved around each other. The words were coming from his mouth in a jumbled mess as he tried to decipher the handwriting in the glow of the moon and soul. Gunn made taunting comments about her being crazy and incestuous vampire bloodlines as he threw harsh punches that Dru easily danced away from. She looked to be having more fun than anything else as she glided across the grass and fought her way until he was on his back against the wall.

Wesley looked up when he heard Gunn's cry but instead of seeing his companion he saw the black leather boots that led up to Dawn's furious expression, enhanced slightly by the dried blood painting the side of her face. "I don't think Angelus wants his soul back."

Wesley was about to reach for his stake when Faith came into the picture, dragging the young Summers away before flipping back and ripping Dru off of Gunn, stopping the from mid drink, shouting with an excited holler into the air. "I'm on a roll! I'm saving everyone today!"

Gunn muttered his thanks as Wesley went back to his work and Xander and Tara came from behind. The vamps were now the ones outnumbered as the humans surrounded them. Dawn and Dru shared a simple look before attacking, both aiming for Gunn and Faith as they were the prominent threat. Wesley continued to chant as they fought, having to lift his body off the ground when Dawn managed to reach him and throw him away. The others were able to protect him until he reached the final stages. He tipped the blood over the orb and turned to the soul in a bottle, popping the cork on top and watching as it dove past the blood and mixed into the orb. With a few more words the soul shifted, the blood absorbed inside, and it all violently shook in the circle hitting bones and runes alike until the light was spitting out from within and launching itself into the sky.

All those fighting stopped as they were thrown to the ground by the sheer force of it all, the wave of power sending them straight to their backs. They all took a moment to gasp at the sky before the true meaning behind the spell sunk in.

"That didn't happen the last time." Dawn said in a mutter, realizing Angel's soul was now free. "We need to get Buffy."

"Come on!" Wesley shouted to the rest, leaving everything behind as he jumped to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

"What about Cordy?" Tara asked as Wesley grabbed her arm, looking around as if she would appear. Xander also looked to the others curiously, wondering why she wasn't already with them.

"She's dead." Gunn said apologetically, jogging to catch up to them. The gentle tone did not stop the sting of pain from washing over Tara and Xander as they followed their saviors away from hell.

Wesley noticed Faith was still hanging back, reaching for her lost stake on the ground. He grabbed her shoulder and urgently nodded towards the others, already close to their jeep left on the road. "Let's go."

"But we haven't found Buffy or Angel!"

"Xander and Tara are hurt, Gunn is injured and lost blood, the spell is done. We will come back better prepared."

"Come on watcher." Faith growled as she let herself be dragged from the two evil vamps that were talking amongst themselves, completely off guard. "Let me go by myself then."

"No, it's too dangerous. Who knows how powerful she really is?"

"What about Angel? You gotta let me help him."

"Think, Faith."  Wesley snapped.  "We talked about this."

Faith growled but reluctantly agreed, "Fine." They started to run faster, meeting the others who were climbing into the jeep decorated in vampire-killing equipment. "But at least let me drive. I'm all hopped up on slayer mojo. I'll get us to LA in no time."

"We can't go to LA."

"Why the hell not?"

"The hellmouths are open. The cities will be too dangerous. I have a safe house."

"A safe house? Why am I not surprised?"

"It's in the desert. We can stay there until we figure this out."

Dawn let the others run and drive away. Angel was a pretty big fish and her sister would want to know about it so she could fry him...Or something like that. She would be pissed about everyone escaping and letting them all go and letting them finish the spell but she would be even more pissed if she didn't get to kill them herself. Besides, if Angelus was Angel…the goodies could actually stand a bit of a chance.  Angel knew everything they had planned.

"Come on Dru. We need to go. We need to find Buffy and the others."

Dru rose to her feet and adjusted her dress, her eyes dancing around. "Where's grandmother?"

Dawn opened her mouth to answer but realized she didn't have one. She looked around and realized she couldn't see Darla either. "I don't know."

"Grandmother?" Dru called out, walking towards the place she last saw her. "Grandmother? You can stop hiding now. They've gone."

"Darla?!" Dawn called a bit louder, using the superhuman vocal cords she always seemed to possess. "Darla?!"

"Grandmother?! Grandmother!" Dru turned to Dawn, a flash of worry sweeping over her. "Where is she? Where is grandmother? Where did she go? Grandmother?!"

"Calm down." Dawn reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Maybe she went ahead of us to tell the others."

"No. She wouldn't. She wouldn't leave. Grandmother!" Dru ran forward a bit more and called out for Drala again but in a few more steps something washed over her. Dawn could tell the exact moment the universe or whatever it was that spoke to Dru let her know what happened. She fell straight to the ground, right next to a burnt pile of grass and ash, huddling over one large pile in particular. "Grandmother-"  As Dru whispered out with such shock and grief, Dawn knew. She knew who that pile of ash was and she knew what that mass was underneath it. She felt her stomach churn and her body shake with the loss. 

Her heart broke as Dru reached out with a shaky hand and touched the ash, studying the pats that stuck to her fingers, rubbing them over the pads of her thumb, and sobbed.  The sob curled in her throat and she cried out a primal howl, straight from her center, all her grief and rage exploding in one ungodly sound resonating in the sky and scaring every living thing in the area -many night birds shooting up to fly away.

The shock for Dawn was not only that she had just lost someone she was getting close to but this meant they won. The humans won. They took her from them. She had already died and they just had to go and do it again. They wouldn't get away with this.

Dru felt a similar way as her rage turned to the street where they had ran and her howl turned to a growl, her fangs dropping, and her eyes so yellow and fierce they looked a shade of red. Dawn jumped in front of her and pulled her back down to the ground before she could take off after them. "Stop! Dru stop! We have to tell Buffy! We can get them later! I promise! We'll kill them. We'll kill them all for what they've done. They will pay!"

Dru was too strong for her and she burst from her arms at lightning speed, the only thing left of her a cloud of dust. Dawn screamed after her, "Dru! Drusilla!", but there was nothing to be done. She was already speeding away and Dawn had to tell the others. Dru could take care of herself and a vampire with that much rage and grief would not be stopped. Instead of chasing her down, she turned towards town and started to run herself.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darla's death was a bit darker than where we've been. I liked her cannon death but we weren't going to get there. Sorry about any uncomfortableness you may have felt. Keeping in mind pregnancy death was a warning, if you need to say something you can message me, I don't mind.
> 
> On a lighter note, I try and keep things close to cannon but there are now a lot of overlaying relationships and crap going on with the crossover so if I fuck anything up, let me know.


	29. Who Let the Dogs Out?

Buffy, Spike, Willow and their trail of fledgling vampires traveled to the center of town at a languid pace, taking in and enjoying the chaos opening the hellmouth had caused. There were more demons than normal running amok, humans screaming and barring their windows and doors, and even a few trying to fight back –gangs of neighborhood watchers with their flashlights and pitchforks. It was all quite a laugh.

Buffy breathed in deep at the smell of fresh blood spilt as they passed a strange looking demon, a giant with more tentacles than arms, pulling its victim apart by the limbs. She hummed and curled her hand a bit tighter around Spike's side and he squeezed her back around the hip as they neared the high school.

"There's just one thing I'm not quite getting." Spike said while they stepped over a few bodies. "You opened the hellmouths to unleash hell on Earth, great fun and all, I say burn it to the ground. So why are we closing them? Fun hasn't even started yet."

"I thought men were supposed to get wiser with age." Willow teased, glancing in Spike's direction as he threatened her with an intimidating point of the finger.

"Watch it witch. Or this old man will kick your wise ass."

"We aren't closing them." Buffy brought the attention back to his question. "Well…not really. We're just closing this one. Well…not really. Just as much as it was before. We just need the beast teriyaki to-"

"Beastraki." Willow corrected.

"Right. That's what I said. The beastr- beastrake- beasties. We just need the beasties to come out so we can use them. Hellmouth closes behind them. Not our fault."

"So, our witch of the damned calls out the mutts and scares the demons square. I don't get the bloody point. Murder, mayhem, that's what demons do. Why are you stuffing them back in their cage-"

"We're not-"

"Because," Willow interrupted them both with a sigh. "Fear is powerful. The demons we let out all over the world have control of the humans, for obvious reasons. The Beastraki control the demons because of their power over the damned, obtained to keep demons in their place in hell so they won't escape. Or so the legends go. Whoever controls them controls both the demons and the humans. It's like a fear filled food chain. That was fun to say. Fear filled food- anyway, the top of the food chain is the shark and I am the shark. The Beastraki will be under my command."

" _We_ are the sharks." Buffy corrected.

"We are the sharks. But I'm the shark ruling over all the attack ones. Queen shark."

"Sure you are Willow. Queen of the pack of beastie sharks. Which look like dogs. Big mean dogs…Demons are weird."

"You're as funny looking to them as they are to you." Spike reminded her. "Wondering why you got a nose like that."

"What's wrong with my nose?!"

"Nothing. If you like that sort of thing. Number of fights you've been it's bound to be a bit crooked." Spike yelled as he earned himself a slap from Buffy up the back of the head. "Never said I don't like that sort of thing."

"Don't think I won't let Willow make you their chew toy." Buffy mocked calling one in a high-pitched playful tone, "Come on doggies. Come play with the Spike. Only his head tastes like toxic chemicals."

"You would know. You've tasted the rest."

"Gross!" Willow shouted and threw her hands over her ears. "Talk about something else or I'll turn you both into frogs. Don't think I won't."

"So we're the scary sharks." Spike said after throwing a smirk Buffy's way.

"Wait, are we the sharks or are the beasties the sharks?" Buffy asked, with her eyebrows smooshed together. "What does that make us?"

"Doesn't matter. What's the point if we can't eat all the fishies in the sea? Isn't that why we opened all of them up in the first place?"

"If we ate all the fish nothing would be left but algae or- can we drop the ocean analogy?" Buffy complained, her head starting to swim in the sea of metaphors.

Willow continued to explain for her, "The hellmouths let demons out and distracted those that would challenge us. You can't let them be open forever or everything will turn to hell. Literally hell, brought up from the hellmouth. Get it? Hell from the hellmouth? All the humans would die and what's the point in that? We call the Beastraki and they stop that from happening. We control demons and humans and the balance between them. Start small scale in Sunnydale, then expand to the other hellmouths. Many will die in the meantime but they will be more desperate for protection, something we will offer them. By the end, we will have control over everything. Hell on earth for humans, paradise for vampires…and the Queen of the beasties witch. Which is me. That about right?"

"You always were the smart one Wills." Buffy smiled at how many times she said 'we' instead of 'Buffy' or 'you' and hugged her around the shoulder as they walked down the last street. The change in attitude was a satisfying improvement and she found the side of her that wanted to murder the one that pulled her from heaven fade to the back as the dark witch came to the forefront of Willow's personality.

"Didn't need the lesson," Spike cut in defensively. "I got it, knew most of it, just don't know why we can't have a bit more fun before unleashing the pups. Get the triple Ds down here." He curled his hands in the air and filled his voice with desperation while trying to explain what they were missing out on. "Tearing up the town, scaring the locals, making their throats bleed from screaming alone! All the other hellmouths will be having all the fun. Sure as hell Angelus will be playing out there."

"Triple Ds?" Willow asked.

"Dru, Dawn, Dar-"

"Got it."

"The sooner we do it, the sooner we get out of that cramped mansion." Buffy said, twisting her body around and stopping him in his tracks, slipping her hands down his side and around his waist as she pushed against him. "We can get a place all to ourselves. No vamps, no demons, just us and a dungeon full of play humans."

Spike rocked forward and nipped at the nose he made fun of earlier. "I like the sound of that."

"Can you two move please?" Willow complained as the high school came into view.

"Could wait a few more minutes." Spike said suggestively, slipping his hands down her back and over her ass, pulling her body against the growing desire in his pants. "What do you say? Quick shag behind the bleachers?" Buffy giggled as Spike started pressing his lips around hers, sliding his tongue between her teeth and pulling her in the direction of the fields. "Like a couple of teens. What do you say slayer? Want to be a bit naughty?"

"Let's go!" Willow yelled and stunned them both with a magic pulse that sent a small electric shock through their bodies.

"Hey!" Buffy yelled and jumped from Spike but noticed Willow was backed up by their hoard of fledglings waiting for some action. Not the kind of action Spike was reeving her up for either. "Yeah alright."

"What?" Spike complained. "It's not fair. Her and Tara always making googly eyes at each other. What's a bit of fun on our end?"

"Later." Buffy said before stealing another kiss. "Promise."

"Bleachers?"

She smirked and ran her hands down his chest, sliding them towards the band of his jeans, dipping in and giving him her best pout face. "I'll even steal one of the cheerleading outfits."

With hungry eyes, Spike imagined the shorter-than-her-ass skirt/crop top combo and licked his lips in anticipation. "Promise?"

"Promise." Buffy smiled and managed to steal one last kiss before Willow zapped them again and had them both charging after her. "Save the shock collar for the dogs Willow!"

They traveled into the remade school -newly destroyed due to the demons that ran from the open gate into the terrestrial world- and followed the halls to the door labeled 'Basement'. The 'Authorized Personal Only' sign ripped clean off the door with a tug by Spike, for the fun of it, and they traveled down. The corridors of the basement seemed to be resemble the old school more than this new one. It was bleak, broken, and the feeling of something lurking just around the corner was continuous.

Willow led the way as the sense of evil grew and they neared the rip in the earth's crust. The door hiding the tear lay to the side, frayed open with the metal peeled away as if it were made of aluminum foil instead of steel. The opening was clear as the dark seemed to pulse out like some kind of inverted light source, drawing the vampires near. The feeling that came from the ground was pure chaos and power. It was just a tiny rip but it was enough to feel all the terror that hid below. They spanned out and circled the source, every vampire equidistant and holding the marked stones Willow had given them.

"Alright," Willow stood in front of the gaping hole and lifted her stone into the air. "Do what I do and say what I say." Everyone nodded and raised their stones into the sky, waiting for her to start. "Oh Hades, here me. I call on you-" Willow stopped abruptly as an odd noise came from below and a demon looking like a cross between a human and a pig wiggled its way up the side of the pit. She growled and pushed a hand down, shooting the demon back down with a blast of black smoke. "I wasn't finished." Buffy shared a look with Spike, sending him a grin before turning back as Willow started up again and everyone echoed her words. "Hades, hear me. I call on you, sovereign of the netherworld, for protection. Send us those that all things fear. Let them howl at the sky and break the heavens down. Hear my call and let Cerberus come to the light. Hear me! Hear me now!"

All yelled together and the stones in their hands started to shine a platinum gold, much like Spike's hair. They started bouncing off of each other, shooting beams of light around until all had a path leading to another. The pattern was blinding and the heat was intense but all held their position, repeated the spell, and the beams shot down into the pit. Soon after, the piercing howl of a dog-like creature could be heard, followed by another and another.

Emerging from the light was a large beast, crawling out and charging into the next room. Three more burst through before the light filtered out and the hellmouth started to close. The earth shook and all lurched until the earth covered itself and all that was left was the dirt of the basement floor and a large intimidating seal with a pentagram pattern and the figure of a goat's head.

Buffy grinned and looked up to see four large beasts running about and causing destruction in the adjoining room. They were all two stories high, too big to fit under the ceiling -breaking pipes and cracking concrete as they ran about. They looked like dogs, each with three heads and baring sharp teeth. Their red eyes floated around and met each other as they continued stampeding around and fighting amongst themselves.

She could sense what the books Willow and she had read spoke of. The creatures were fierce and daunting but it was more than that. As their eyes landed on her she could feel the power they held over the demon inside. They were the alphas that had the power to corral her in any direction they wished and it went against everything she was used to. Never had she been anything less than an alpha herself and she was not about to start now. She just had to remember who was in charge here.

"Heel." Willow demanded with an eyebrow cocking up to its side. Instantly, the animals stopped moving and turned to face her. They still looked aggressive but they stopped barking when Willow held her stone up in the air. Their eyes followed it and all listened again when Willow made her next command. "Sit."

Buffy laughed and hugged Willow from behind as the dogs sat –crouching to fit under the roof-, hearing Willow chuckling even though she tried not to. "This is going to be fun," She sang.

The beasties charged through the basement and through the school, destroying everything in their path as they made their way to the streets. The vampires behind them actually had to run to avoid the building from collapsing on them.

"Rover one through four are gonna need a bigger dog house!" Spike yelled, avoiding one beastie from hitting him in the side while shaking some plaster from his hair.

"These are outside dogs!" Buffy shouted from behind another one, trying to make her way back to the others.

Willow spoke a few words that the vamps didn't understand and all beasties' ears pricked and they all ran beside her, avoiding the cowering fledgling vamps and waiting for their next command.

"You guys know what to do." Buffy smirked and kissed Spike before gesturing for the fledglings in her group to follow. "Meet you at the Magic Box. Or you know, formerly known as."

"We'll be out for a walk." Willow snapped and one of the dogs knelt down. Without looking, she floated into the air, back to the creature, and landed on its shoulders -riding it as if it was a horse. "Whistle if you get into a ruff patch."

"I'll try not to bark up the wrong tree." Buffy winked.

"You two are pawful." Spike threw it out there and they both looked at him and simultaneously shook their head and said, "Too far Spike."

He threw up his hands and scoffed, stomping away without another word. He could hear them both giggle so he refused to turn around and continued to walk towards his destination on the other side of town.

Buffy nodded at Willow before taking her group in the opposite direction and heading for the other side of Sunnydale thinking she would make it up to Spike later.

Willow snapped her fingers again and the Beastraki all moved together and carried her to the outside of town. As they ran at a gallop, all things veered from their path -human and demon- cowering behind the rubble. Willow felt a surge of euphoria spread through her at the knowledge that brought. She truly was a queen with all the power she had.

After the mishap with Tara's soul not being removed, she had been confused once again. She felt no desire to save the world or destroy it. The only desires she had were to keep Tara by her side and use her magic at will -without everyone telling her what was wrong and what was right, as they once had.

The decision she made was to do as Buffy wanted, for the time being. In the apocalyptic, vampiric world Buffy wanted to create, Willow would be able to do exactly what she wanted. She could use her magic without worry of being judged or stopped and Tara could be at her side. Of course, Tara was not as willing because she could not see. Willow was working on a way to fix that. She thought of removing Tara's soul herself but worried of the outcome.

Without her soul, Willow felt free and without limitations and accepted Buffy's motives for making her lose it, but everyone was different. Who was to say if Tara would feel the same? Maybe she would appreciate the act or maybe she would seek vengeance as Buffy had in her return from the dead. If Florica had removed it, she need not have worried. But if was her –Willow- the love of her life …these would become issues. She could not risk losing Tara over something so unnecessary.

Perhaps she would just keep Tara locked away from the world, safe in her arms, until Tara realized just how much she loved her and how much she was willing to sacrifice to be with her.

The one thing Willow knew for sure was that these difficulties would be resolved after global change. Then she would get what she wanted and absolutely no one would get in her way. To do that, she first had to move the Beastraki into position.

With the stone in her pocket, humming with the magic that commanded them, she felt connected to each dog -as if she could see through their thirty-six eyes at will. It was comforting to know the stone worked. It had taken great magic to create so many and a great cost –though not a cost she was unwilling to make, it wasn't as though it was hers- to create the main. What was the life of a normal stray canine when it meant obtaining so many powerful demonic ones?

With a mental command, the hellhounds separated and surrounded Sunnydale, each taking a direction to protect. She took the north and started to do her job.

The hellmouth had been open for two whole days. Most demons escaped at night but they had time to make their mark and cause destruction by the light of day. There were still a bunch of idiotic humans who did not escape while they had the chance. Most were long-term residents of Sunnydale who had been through apocalyptic incidents before…only they didn't have a slayer this time. They were just waiting to be saved and it would never come. Some realized that, maybe the news covering the other cities going to hell gave them a clue. Maybe it being magical night number three had something to do with it because people were pilling in their cars –those that weren't destroyed at least- and trying to run for it.

She rode the Beastraki to the middle of the road and smiled as her beastie caused several drivers to break too fast, horns blaring, many slamming into the back of others and causing a large pile-up. She looked down at the tops of the cars from the high perch of the creature's neck and made her next command.

"Beastie, fetch."

She held on tight as the Beastraki charged, the center head she was gripping biting the first car it saw and throwing it to the side. The other heads did the same as the beast sprinted and barked, picking up spare cars and tossing them like chew toys.

Willow laughed at the rush of adrenaline and the feeling of the wind whipping through her hair as she cast a quick spell to keep her position so she could do more magic. She used more of her black smoke to manipulate the humans running from their cars so they would head back towards town. The beastie charged towards them as well, growling and sending them tripping back towards their cars before tossing them to the side.

One car managed to break free, driving off road and onto the sand of the desert. With a mental kick, Willow turned her beastie around and started the chase. The car was flooring it, getting a good lead on them but the Beastraki were fast. The demon dog tore through the dirt and snatched the truck up in its center mouth. The two heads on either side grabbed the nearest part and with a deafening crunch the truck ripped into three pieces. The humans inside were lost as the beastie ripped the metal down and swallowed the parts. Willow did nothing to stop her pup from causing the destruction, simply waiting until they could return to blocking the exit.

The fun continued for a while, the other Beastraki doing the same for each side of town, until the burning white light that lit up the sky distracted them all. Every head lifted towards the sky in utter confusion and Willow whispered aloud, "What is that?"

On the other side of the mayhem, Spike watched the beasties as they bombarded the streets, seeing the witch whooping and hollering from one of them as she ran about. After the first street was cleared of demons by one of her doggies, his fledglings made the circle and they trapped their first prey, all scared out of their minds just trying to get home. It was so pathetic.

The humans cried out as they were surrounded by the demonic faces, nowhere to turn without fangs gleaming in the chaos.

"Well what do we have here?" Spike laughed and held out his hands. "Seems like you folks could use some help. Some protection."

"Get away from us!" One woman yelled, throwing her hands to the side and trying to wrap them around the people behind her.

"Put the claws away kitten. I'm offering you something here. Cus, you see all this." Spike gestured towards the anarchy surrounding them. "It's not going to end. But there is one way to avoid it. You can join our side. The winning side. Nothing will happen to you. Most of you. Just promise us you'll do as we say and nothing will happen. You can live your cheery pathetic human lives in your own little piece of hell. As long as you do as we say."

"Like prisoners?" A man asked from over his shoulder, checking out the fledglings in front of him.

"Well, when you put it that way-"

"Never!" The woman screamed out, cutting him off.

"Alrighty then, option two." Spike snatched the screamer into his hands and twisted her around, pulling on her head and sinking his fangs into her flesh. In a few gulps, he took the blood from the woman and cut his arm, putting the wound to her mouth and making her drink. The body fell to the floor and a fledgling took it away as he shrugged to the people stunned and stuck in the middle of their barrier. "Become one of us."

Many humans chose to join with them, to protect themselves, but many chose to change. It was all part of the plan. The army would grow, the humans would be treated as stock, and they would take on the world. Once the world was theirs, they would be in control over everything. Population levels, food allowances, torture, money, whatever they wanted. It was a large responsibility but everything would be theirs. They could make their followers do the work as they enjoyed it all. If they had to kill off the armies they created to win in the end…well that was just part of it.

The changes continued like that until Spike was sure he covered half the city. He was heading back to the Magic Box to meet up when the sky shifted color as a bright light burst through the air and shot across it before fading back into the dark. Some instinct within him was screaming it was a bad sign so he ran the rest of the way. When he arrived, he was the only one. He looked around and smelled the air but everything was too clouded to make anything out. The only sound above the noise was a loud cry that sounded from the distance but he was sure that was just one of the beasties.

Then came Dawn, slamming into his back and nearly making him fall into the ashes of the Magic Box. When he looked around to yell, he saw her crumbling by his side panting out, "Spike!"

"What?" He snapped before taking a proper look and seeing how truly upset she was, dried blood caked on her face, and an open wound at the top of her head. "What happened? Little Bit? What's wrong?"

Dawn pulled in an unnecessary breath and frantically started to gesture around. "Faith and Wesley and that other guy, they attacked us. She ran after- they- they-she… Darla …she didn't- she- she didn't make it."

Spike felt his mouth open and murmured, "Bloody hell," at the shock of the news.

"That's not all. Wesley did magic. He had a soul and it went up into the sky and-"

Spike looked up towards where he saw the light flying before and growled. "Angel."

"Yeah." Dawn gasped out. "They probably want him to join their team or whatever. Try and take us down."

"Love to see them try." He snarled and looked around at the fledglings. "We're about done here. We'll stop him before he has the chance to get over the tingles."

"Okay." Dawn nodded along, on the verge of breaking, still in too much shock to be able to comprehend what she had just been through and the pain from her head taking a beating by the slayer was not helping.

Spike looked around for the other vamp but didn't see her coming up from behind. "Where's Dru?"

"After they…" Dawn's voice cracked and she shook away the tears she couldn't afford. "After Darla…she just lost it. I couldn't stop her."

"Look at me Nibblet." Spike grabbed the shaking girl by the shoulders and made her stand straight. "We're not beat yet. Dru will be alright. She's a big girl. Darla…well I never really liked her but we'll make them pay. Alright?"

"Alright." Dawn wiped her face and nodded again, looking around to see what her sister had to say about it. "Wait…where's Buffy and Willow?"

"They were supposed to meet up with us by now. Come on. Let's nab them."

Spike and Dawn ran to find Buffy, leaving the rest of the vamps behind. Instead of her, they found her group of vampires all heading towards the meeting spot, none of them knowing where their captain went.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Spike yelled at one of them, shoving them into the side of a building. Moments later, the ground shook by Willow who was heading their way to meet them.

"Whoa." Dawn whispered at the sight of the beasties, backing away from their size and the power they held over her. Willow smirked as she descended to meet them on the ground.

"And where have you been?" Spike demanded to know.

"What?" Willow asked with a shrug. "I was doing my job."

"Yeah well while you were doing your job we got bigger problems."

"Angel's friends," Dawn interrupted. "From LA. They came and they- Darla's gone." Willow shrugged at that one, indifferent to the vampire's death. "They took Xander and Tara and they had this soul and this spell and-"

"They took who?!" Willow's furious voice bounced around the walls of the street they were on, echoing her screams in the small space and up into the sky.

"Yeah they took your bint." Spike said in a hurry. "Shut it for a moment would you? We can get her back later. Right now we need to find the big lummox and shove that soul outta him."

"Do you think you can tell me what to do?" Willow challenged and the beastie behind her started to growl with one of its heads, as if to back her up.

"Look," Spike yelled back, only flinching a bit at the sight of the dog's eyes narrowing in on him. "You're the witch here. You're the one that can get that soul out of him. We can get your precious pet back when that's done. You go now and Angel will come and screw up the party plans. He could screw you up to. Then all this will go away."

"I'm not the only one." Willow challenged with a deadly glare under black brows. "Buffy could just sleep with him again."

"That's it-" Spike started to roll his sleeves up in anticipation of landing a good punch and make one of those black eyes truly black. He was hopped up on a ton of blood and he was ready for whatever spell she wanted to throw. Or, that's what he thought, until Willow held up her hand and threw an invisible wall in front of her body making his hand collide with the solid air.

"Oh I'm so sorry about that." Willow smirked as Spike held his knuckles in his palm.

That was when Dawn interrupted, trying to stop the fight and get back to their real problems.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Her screaming worked momentarily and she was able to ask, "Shouldn't one of us go to LA? Help Dru? Won't they be trying to stop us?"

"The backup dancers and the psychotic slayer?" Spike sneered. "They won't be able to make heads or tails of anything for a while. That's if Dru hasn't already killed them all."

"Faith was there and I didn't even get to say hello?" Willow asked with equal parts sarcasm and anger. "Now I really gotta go meet them."

"Shut up." Spike whined. "Angel knows things. He is the issue which is why we need you, queen of the undead doggies, to sick him."

"He makes sense Willow." Dawn pleaded.

"Fine." Willow barked, throwing her arms up. "We'll fix Angelus and then get Tara back. Then I'll kill all of you for letting her get away in the first place!"

"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked again, ignoring the outburst, while thinking Buffy would want to be the one making the plans.

"Come on," Spike said, walking away. "Before Red flips her lid."

They searched all over town for Buffy but could find no trace of her in the destruction left behind. She didn't answer their calls or anything.

"Where the bloody hell did that woman go?"

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed for the hundredth time. "Where is she?"

"I'm not waiting for this. I don't need her." Willow said, beyond frustrated. "I'm going to stop Angel now so we can get a move on things."

"You don't think he would have come back do you?" Dawn asked, worried as she glanced at the many piles of ash littering the ground. "Angelus might have turned back without us knowing and Angel could have come and-"

"Don't say that." Spike cut her off. "Alright, here's the plan-"

"Oh good, you're in charge." Willow said with a laugh.

"Shut it or I'll steal your little pebble and make you dog chow. You and Dawn go find Angel and stop the bipolar bastard from killing our fun. Kill him if you have to. I'll sniff Buffy out and we'll meet you there. She couldn't have gotten far."

"What about Dru?" Dawn asked again, looking to Willow who was crossing her arms over her body and huffing in annoyance at the time it was taking. She needed to know where Tara was and she needed to know now.

"She'll come back." Spike said with assurance. He wanted to be there for Dru but honestly Buffy was more important to him. Dru had gone off on her own before and when she was upset, she was the true definition of a monster. His priority was finding out where Buffy was and what happened to her. "Then we can visit our little pals in LA. Maybe I'll get to tick another slayer off the kill list after all."

"Alright," Dawn said with a nod. "Come on Willow. Let's go stop that soul."

"Finally." Willow floated up, back onto her beastie and gestured towards Dawn, making her float into the air as well.

"Oh hell no Willow!" Dawn tried to pull from the magic but there was no point. "I am not riding one of these things!"

"Well you can't drive can you?"

"You can!"

"This is more fun and they can pick up Angelus' sent." Before they could argue more, all four beasties charged and they were on their way towards stopping Angel.

Spike left to check the Magic Box one last time and send the fledglings packing –choosing a random one to be leader in their absence. He hoped she had just gone to steal that cheerleading outfit and that was it. This was just a big pile of shit he did not want to deal with.

* * *

Dawn and Willow traveled for hours before picking up on Angelus' sent and narrowing it down to one town in the middle of a desert. They were on foot, checking in and out of the streets while the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. There was no sign of Angel.

"I thought Spike and Buffy would be here by now." Dawn mumbled as they walked the town, hoping that whatever happened to Buffy did not happen to him. They had been there a while and the two powerful vamps would easily be able to trace them. It only worried her for a moment before she heard Angel speaking from down an alley.

"And why would they be coming here? Whoa, those are large do-" Willow shot out a hand and slammed Angel into the side of the brick wall with a thump as Dawn came running forward. Angel coughed and shouted, "What the fuck?!", as he continued to fight the spell holding him down.

"Too bad Angel." Dawn said with a satisfied smirk, secretly grateful they didn't have to have a huge fight. She wasn't sure she could win against Angel. "You only get to be here for a few hours this time."

"Don't call me that!" He screamed as he pushed against the rough of the brick. Nothing he did mattered, he couldn't move.

"Oh, he's trying to play dumb." Willow smirked and slid his body higher up the wall, nearing the point where the sun had started to shine at the tip of the roof.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Alright Willow, do it. Remove his soul."

"Soul?!"

Willow started to chant the words that came, having looked them up earlier in her life when researching for the Scooby Gang. It was as though all magic became a part of her and she could access it whenever she wished. Why hadn't she tapped into her dark side before? Really, it was just convenient.

Angel continued to sputter and fight and yell over the spell, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Sorry Angel," Dawn yelled up, "But with a soul you're-"

"I don't have a soul!"

"We heard that before." Willow mumbled before picking the spell back up.

"That's the point of me killing this gypsy bitch. Who is very hard to find by the way-" He joked as he continued to try and inch his way down the wall, very wary of the sun creeping near the tips of his hair. "All that mojo keeping her hidden."

"You can't trick us Angel." Dawn said, crossing her hands over her chest and smiling as one of the beasties growled at the demon on the wall.

"Trick you?!" He screamed as he growled back at the dog. "I'll kill every last one of you!"

With one resounding word, Willow had completed the spell and looked on in befuddlement. Dawn looked over at her, cocked her head to the side, and asked, "Willow?"

"I did it." Willow said, shaking her head. "It should have worked. Why didn't it work?" She took her hand away and Angel fell to the floor of the alley in a very pissed off heap.

"Because I don't have a fucking soul! See, watch." He jogged out into the middle of the street and looked around until he saw one worker opening the doors to their mom and pop business. He walked over and asked, "Excuse me…sorry do you have the time?"

"Oh yes, it's-" Before the woman could finish he had snapped her neck to the side and thrown her body towards the two across the street, the dogs behind them sniffing the dead shopkeeper curiously.

"See?! No soul."

"Ohhhh…kay?" Willow said, completely confused.

"Now fuck off!"

"Well that doesn't….make sense…" Dawn looked around as if one of the dogs would give them an answer. "If you don't have your soul then…what did Wesley do?"

* * *

Spike had picked up on Buffy's trail a while after starting. She had been mixed in with death and destruction and it had been hard to set her apart. After he did, he found her to be moving fast and moving far. Whatever it was, she was running.

Maybe Dawn was right. Maybe Angelus had turned around and therefore sent Angel straight back their way. Maybe Florica had come back for her. Maybe they were off dueling it out in the middle of a desert. Maybe. At least, that's where the sent took him.

He was dizzy with worry as he walked the dunes of sand and followed the trail around rocks and cacti. The sun was near rising and he contemplated going back to find shelter but picked up the pace instead. If she were hurt for any reason by that pig-faced Neanderthal, she would need him and he would need to commit murder. There were caves close enough to sprint to in a hurry.

The trail led him in a wondering path, circling around itself, until he ended up at the door of a small house. Well, house was generous. It was more like a shed or a shack, abandoned and beaten by the weather abusing it.

Without hesitation he stomped up to it and threw the door open, frozen in place by what he saw, his voice falling apart in shock and disbelief. "Buffy?"


	30. Angel Inc.

Even in the silence of the drive, Xander could not sleep. The hum of the tires grinding over the rocky roads did nothing to lull him. He simply lifted his arm and held Tara close as she cried into his shoulder and soon managed to let exhaustion take her. Unfortunately, she did not have long to rest before the car suddenly jolted.

"Drive much?" Faith snapped from the cramped back seat. Gunn was about to yell back but everyone snapped to attention when the giant semi-truck rear-ended them again.

Gunn swore as he swerved the car back onto the road and shouted when he looked in the rear-view. "It's –" When they looked through the back window they could see Drusilla behind the wheel of the semi, unhinged from its trailer and speeding at them. A terrible craze filled her eyes as she slammed into them again. Only, instead of backing away for another crash, she charged forward and pushed them down the road. More profanities left Gunn's lips as he tried to take control, "God damn- What the hell does she thinks she's doing?!"

The tires screeched along with the occupants as Drusilla pounded into them, slamming on the gas and sending them spiraling towards the sand banks. "Looks like she wants to go off road!" Faith shouted back, fumbling in the tremors caused by the car bumping around until she managed to free her stake.

"Well this baby was made for that. Hang on everyone!" Gunn swerved the car, on purpose this time, avoiding another attack from the truck behind. He slammed the gas down and sped towards the unmarked desert, smirking as Dru followed. As Gunn said, the jeep was made for off-roading but the truck was not. Drusilla had a hard time keeping it focused on her goal and Gunn was using it to his advantage, zigzagging to keep her at bay.

"Gunn-" Wesley warned as they narrowly avoided one of the large boulders hiding in the sand and ended up mowing down a cactus instead. The former watcher cringed with his hands gripping the dash and handle above as his teeth worked to tighten his seatbelt.

"I got this!" Gunn's reflexes were fast but they couldn't stop Dru from using the PIT maneuver and bumping into his back. Automatically he was sent into a tailspin and went crashing into one of the rocks he had tried trailing their vampire tail into. With a loud crash everyone rocked into each other, slamming into the interior of their transportation like they were on a very dangerous and realistic version of the Scrambler -the version where murderous vampires chased the occupants around the fair.

"Can we please never do that again!?" Xander shouted as he lifted his head from the back of Gunn's seat and checked to make sure Tara was alright. She gave a nod to let him know she was as she pulled herself up and popped her seatbelt off. "I wasn't built to be a crash test dummy."

"Nope, just a regular one." Faith smirked at him as she twisted her neck to crack it back into place.

After the initial whiplash, they all turned and found Dru slinking out of the driver's seat and moving towards them, the headlights from the truck left running making her appear much bigger than they knew her to actually be. Even by just her silhouette they could see the rage she had as she talked towards the inhabitants of the smashed jeep.

"Alright. My turn." Faith smiled and sent her elbow sharply through the window, smashing it to bits. She ignored Gunn yelling at her about ruining the already ruined jeep and slipped through the broken glass, out over the rock, and jumped off the roof. It wasn't like the door would work. It was her side of the jeep smashed into the bolder. "Come back for more?" She called to the demon as she twirled the stake in her hand and everyone else followed her, using the doors like people who didn't know how to enjoy a good fight.

"You killed grandmother. You killed uncle." Dru's broken cry rang out in the clearing, no visible landmarks to absorb the sound other than the small bunches of cacti and stones. Her demon features glistened in the moonlight with a feral snarl making her appear more beastly and wolfish than she ever had before. The sight sent a small spike of unexpected fear through the slayer's system and she hugged her wooden weapon just the slightest bit tighter because of it. "You've been very bad."

"Yeah, sorry about that. When it's kill or be killed I guess I just-"

Dru was too wound to wait for the end of that sentence and pounced before Faith could finish. Faith grunted at the impact of Dru's hands against her chest but grabbed her wrists, pushed her off, and twisted to kick her away.

Fury powered the vampire with speed the slayer had not yet seen. Faith found her footing failing on the uneven ground as Dru came at her over and over again. She shouted in pain as the vampire sliced a fresh gash across her stomach, pounded her knees, and knocked her temple until everything went fuzzy. She had only managed to keep her teeth at bay and keep a grip on her stake but it was not enough. The slayer was losing.

"Son of a bitch!" Gunn's shouted, momentarily stopping them from throwing punches, and both women turned to see him with his hands rubbing the top of his head as he surveyed the damage done to the jeep. "Do you see this?!" He pointed at the very large dent and chipped paint to Wesley and Xander who had been on their way to helping Faith. "It isn't even mine! I'm never getting my tuck back now! That's it. I'm killing her."

The distraction did not last long and Faith used it to charge. Dru stepped out of her blow with an agile bend but the stake still slammed into the vampire's undead flesh. It pierced through her shoulder instead of her chest, fueling her rage more. She was like a wild animal set on the kill and nothing could prevent her from getting it. Revenge was all she sought and the blood dripping down her side could always be replenished.

Wesley charged forward just as Dru had caught Faith by the arm and thrown her away. The slayer smashed into the nearest bunch of cacti, her shout of pain from the thousands of small needles pushing into her simultaneous to his shout, "Hey!" It stopped Dru from charging at the slayer stuck trying to push her way from the plants clinging to her skin and the crazed demon switched to the former watcher as he continued to sidetrack, "What about me? I've got that sweet blood you wanted."

"Yeah, look at this guy!" Xander chimed in, throwing a hand on Wesley's shoulder as he tried to mentally prepare himself for physical movement –still feeling the damage from the fight before. "Full of that sweet stuff. Like honey or...caramel…or honey!"

"Yes, thank you Xander." Wesley shook his head at him before Dru called them back.

"Jealous boys," Dru chastised. "Mummy will play with you in a moment." She turned to run after Faith who had just managed to free herself when a spring loaded long stake came spiraling in front of her, nearly hitting its target but diving into the sand instead. Her golden eyes snapped to the back of the jeep where Tara was handing another stake to Gunn for the crossbow taken from his truck and crammed into the back of this new set of wheels. He started to load the next as he muttered, "There are five of us here and we can't take down _one_ damn vamp."

Faith charged from the dark and slammed Dru up against the headlight of the semi, ignoring the full body pain so she could relentlessly pound her fists into the vamp's face. She had lost her stake in the mass of cacti but she could do this much, even if it meant pushing those needles in her hand further into her skin with every blow.

When Dru managed to kick her away, Wesley came running forward with a cry, his stake poised and ready for the attack. He was easily thrown away as Xander came charging forward, a bit sloppy in his run and nearly tripping over his own two feet -caught by Dru with a small chuckle who easily threw him back into Wesley.

Gunn cursed and groaned to Tara, "I can't get a good shot. They all keep moving in front of her."

Faith came running again, this time grabbing a stake from Xander and shouting thanks before meeting the vampire halfway in a fit of kicks and punches. Renewed by the adrenaline rush from the thrill of a real fight and not a newbie backyard brawl, Faith managed to back her towards the truck again. Just as she went for the kill shot, Dru plucked her forearm from the air, bent it back, and squeezed. As the girl tried to pull away Dru just squeezed harder and harder, sneering as she crunched her fingers down, until a crack sounded out with the gasps of pain.

Faiths arm would have broken in two if Wesley hadn't come from behind, punching Dru across the head. His puny strength did nothing but make her throw Faith away. He ran out of reach of her arms but she did not try for him or the panting slayer. She instead turned and grabbed the edge of the truck's grill and ripped it clean off, swiping it around and shoving Wesley to the ground with a content snicker. Gunn tried to take the opportunity to shoot but she used the car part like a bat and swung the stake into the night as if hitting a home run.

Faith tried to come back into the fight but her arm was useless and the other wasn't much help. She couldn't block and was soon thrown back by that grill. Xander didn't know what to do with no weapon so he took to helping her up instead while yelling, "Foul!"

"I can't fight!" Faith growled in frustration as she tried to stretch her arm but couldn't bend it out without the fire shooting up to her shoulder.

"Come here darling." Dru stalked up to the two, her features full of malice as she held out a hand and licked her fangs. "Mummy will kiss that for you." Dru stalked closer with her dancing fingers gesturing toward Faith's eyes as she poked harshly in the air. A growl sounded from her chest as she started to sprint at them.

Just as Faith was rearing for a kick and Xander was stepping back to give her the room, the semi-truck's lights suddenly came closer and with a loud clap Dru was tossed to the side as the front rammed into her.

"Get in!" Wesley cried from the driver's seat, opening the passenger's side door for them. "Gunn, let's go!" Gunn and Tara climbed from the back and into their jeep, revving the engine and pulling from the boulder as Wesley explained, "It will be dawn soon. There's nowhere for her to go. She'll burn with the sun."

Xander pushed Faith up to help her reach the seat and she yelled at him to -"Quit feeling my ass! It's full of needles."- before he crawled in behind her and looked towards the horizon. It seemed too dark for what Wesley said to be true. In fact, everything just seemed to bet getting darker.

That's when the vision started to shift. The dry desert started to fade away and in its place came the familiar horror of rough stone locking him in behind an impenetrable door. Just as he thought it, the door swung open and Buffy came barging in, her features frantic as she slammed the door behind her and turned to him in the dim light. "Xander-"

His bindings were tilted up that day, his feet near the ground and his arms spread wide like some barbaric cross spectacle ironically used for his captors amusement. His eyes suspiciously swept over that captor now. She looked of her former self, dressed in her old clothes, makeup cleaned away, and no trace of demon on her. If he squinted she would look almost human. The only sign that this was in fact the vampire Buffy was the hair chopped short to frame her face.

"What do you want?" He croaked and shifted in his binds, mentally groaning with the move. The knife had been used so the wounds did not remain but the phantom pains lingered with every stretch.

Buffy seemed stuck with her back to the door, her mouth hanging open and her head shaking back and forth. "Xander…oh god…what have I done?"

Xander glared down at her, shaking his head to try and clear his mind of the fantasy he had dreamt of thousands of times since being captured. In his dreams and in the hallucinations someone would always come to save them. To take them out of this hell. Usually it was her. Why did it have to be so real?

"I'm so sorry," Buffy ran up to him and threw her hands on his chest, trying to pull his eyes to hers. "Xander, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"Get away from me." He mumbled, closing his eyes to try and fight the dehydration that was obviously giving him this delusion.

"It's me. Xander, it's me Buffy. Please, I'm not here to hurt you. I promise. Something happened. There was this flash and then, oh god please Xander. You have to believe me. We need to go. We need to get the others and leave." Xander said nothing and silently cursed himself for having such an active imagination. "Oh I don't have time for this." She reached over him and silently started to undo the buckles keeping him up, managing to free one on his inner arm when Spike came crashing into the cell.

"There you are." He smirked in victory and crossed the small space with a thumb hanging in the band of his jeans. "Couldn't hide from me now could you?"

"Stay back Spike." Buffy curved her body in front of Xander in a defensive position as the vamp cocked his head to the side.

"Prodigal slayer returns and this is where you run off to? The whelp? Only good he's for is playing the turkey. Carved up for dinner. If only we had potatoes."

"Don't touch him." Buffy warned, shifting into a better stance with her arms raised for the attack.

"Or what?"

"Or this." Buffy jumped for him, throwing her body into a punch and slamming her fist into his jaw. He staggered back into the door before pushing into her, grabbing her arm and twisting her around. She pulled him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground, her boot coming close after but he rolled away before she could land the blow.

They circled around Xander in the small space as he watched in awe, unsure of what was truly happening. This was one realistic vision. He could feel the wind from the two of them moving, the imprint of Buffy's hand leaning against his chest, and his arm did feel freer, but he wouldn't allow himself to believe it. It couldn't be true. Not after so long of hoping.

"Well, slayer." Spike laughed as they continued to circle. "Just like old times."

"Yeah. Me kicking your ass."

Spike shot over Xander and kicked her hard in the side. She stepped straight back up and grabbed him by the jacket, running him back against the wall. Unsure of what was real, Xander still felt a part of him urging Buffy on, wanting her to win so he could see if she would really help him escape. There was also the lingering need to see Spike beaten to a bloody pulp.

Spike ducked one of her punches and pulled her up by the hips, running her forward until she slammed into Xander's chest. The wind knocked out of him on impact and he coughed as he studied the girl below, wondering how a hallucination could make him do that. That's when it started to settle in. This was not a hallucination…This was the real Buffy, fighting the real Spike. She was actually there. Could that mean…

"There it is." Spike laughed, holding Buffy up by her shirt, pressing her back against Xander's chest. "Just in his eyes. That tiny speck of hope."

"Where? I wanna see?" Buffy replied enthusiastically, turned her body around until she was flush against the human boy. "Oh, there it is." She smiled and pointed to his face, laughing as he started to frown and realize what they had done. "And there it goes. You were right Spike," She turned to face the demon again. "This was fun."

"I'd never steer you wrong, love."

"Oops, I think I cut your lip open. Here," She leaned forward and sucked his bottom lip to her mouth, lapping her tongue over the wound and humming as she swallowed the blood down.

"You are the sexiest thing." He curved his head down and wrapped her back up in heavy kisses.

"Not as sexy as you." She spoke between kisses as he started to rub against her. "Big-bad-Spike."

Xander cringed and squeezed his eyes shut, trying more than anything to wake up. Every move Spike made up Buffy's body traveled through to him. He could feel them grind together and he could hear every moan they made. It only got worse as their hands wondered, Buffy's arms hitting him as Spike's hands bumped against his torso. His pleas for them to stop went unheard and unanswered as they started to undress and Spike pushed into her.

The tilt of his confinement had all their weight on him. With every roll of the hips came one over his and he recoiled as much as he could but there was no escape. Buffy even flailed her hands out and dug her nails into his arms, biting them down so hard that as her pleasure built, his pain rose. The instant she drew blood the pace quickened and he could only hope it would be over with soon. Unluckily for him after they were done it only lead to more violation of his body as they licked the blood up from his wounds and readjusted his restraints.

Closing his eyes he expected to open them to an empty room, the darkness would be better than their company. Everything shifted again. He stayed in that dreadful place but now Dawn stood before him. This was no false version of the former innocent Dawn he knew. This was the vampire dawn, her golden eyes zooming in on his face as she tortured him yet again.

"Are you listening now Xander? She's dead." The false image of the young girl smirked and walked around him. "And little old me did that. Poor Anya, always so trusting."

"Don't-"

"What? Say her name? Anya, Anya, Any, Anya." She laughed and continued to pace in front of him, fixing her hair as she skipped about excitedly. "What are you going to do about it? Look at her." Xander curled tighter in the corner he placed himself, trying desperately to sink into the wall and leave this cursed place. He refused to raise his eyes to the corner near the door where this demon had placed the body of his fiancé. "If only you had a backbone. You might have saved her. You might have saved us all."

When Xander's eyes blinked open this time he was met with only dark. Something was covering the light, the pressure over his eyes keeping him from seeing. The only hint he got was a short flash of gold slashing out and cutting him open. The first cut was usual, something he had become accustomed to but then there was more. The pain came sporadically, too fast to be from only one source. He screamed and screamed and screamed, his body shaking with the shocks of the attack he could not defend, until some else's screams grew louder than his.

"Wake up! Goddammit! Wake the fuck up!"

Xander gasped and crawled from the noise, hiding in the corner of his new bed, shuttering as he had done in his cell as he pushed against the wall, oblivious to Faith gawking at him. With his back in the corner he threw his hands over his head and rocked, trying to tell himself it was all just a dream now. Those memories were just memoires and they were not actually happening to him anymore. He was fine and he was away from that place. Look, he even had a bed. He didn't have a bed there. This was a bed and it was a real thing. It was there.

"Hey-" Faith started uneasily, "-you okay? Or whatever?" Xander continued not to answer, his mind trying to find the reality around him. "Xander? Hello? Earth to Xander?"

"Fine." He stammered, more than anything trying to make her go away so he could filter his thoughts. "I'm fine. I'll be down in a minute."

Faith shook her head at him but he refused to look up at her so she left and walked back to the room they kept Tara. It was a short walk as the safe house was a tiny thing. It was meant to be a shared room for just them girls but Faith couldn't stand Tara keeping the light on all night long. She wasn't so cruel as to traumatize the girl by turning it off. The moment she asked was the first time she'd ever heard the timid girl yell about something. The couch seemed the better option for her.

When she walked in she found the lamp next to Tara's bed still on even though the sun had long since risen. However, there was no need to wake her. Her red and puffy eyes could be seen focusing in on the light, watching it intently as if it would float away at any moment. It looked as though she hadn't caught a wink of sleep the night before.

It was true. Tara found sleep too hard and the only bits she got where when leaning against Xander in the car. Faith did not provide the same comfort he did. Every time she closed her eyes she pictured herself back in that solitary confined space and she couldn't stand it. Utter darkness and loneliness played tricks on her mind. Noises, shadows, and glimpses of demonic faces were all she found anymore. She couldn't trust the dark and it was the reason for her nightlight and her whispered spell. She had muttered the spell for the small ball of light over and over while captured and she found it brought her piece now. The magic wasn't very powerful but it reminded her of the times when it was successful. It was a success because she had a witch by her side, helping her through it.

Willow was also cause for her insomnia. She had been on her mind continuously, winding in with her thoughts on the rest of the world and the plans she overheard the evildoers making. It was so hard to throw the woman she loved in with that title. Willow was not evil. She was confused and lacked a soul but she was not evil. They could fix this…somehow they could. They had to. She could not lose her. And yet all she could picture were those big black eyes. Why did everything have to be so black and dark?

"Hey," Faith called to let her know she was there and Tara snapped instantly at the noise. "Breakfast in the kitchen. Nothing special but you should get something to eat."

Tara nodded and Faith left her alone to join the others and bug Gunn for forgoing the bacon on his trip to the market. The nearest town was a forty minute drive but that was nowhere near enough time to forget such an important thing.

She wasn't much better off for company in the kitchen because as soon as Gunn and Wesley spotted her they stopped whispering in hushed tones and pretended to be eating.

"It's so sweet of you boys to be talking about me." She smiled sweetly and dove into the donut box, picking one out with extra cinnamon sugar.

"How's your arm?" Wesley asked dutifully over his cup of tea.

Faith looked down at the sling they had thrown it in, secretly thanking the watcher for being such a nut job and keeping his cabin in the desert stocked with first aid stuff. The tweezers came in handy when she had to strip and lie down for the de-pricking. Cactus needles were very itchy and sitting on them for the car ride over was a literal pain in the ass.

"I'll live. I can't be held accountable for anyone that touches it though." Her laugh was met by silence and she didn't miss Wesley sliding the knife he had used to cut his apple to the other side of his plate, away from her.

"How's your shoulder?" She asked Gunn who had the bandage sticking out from under his shirt. He had a bunch of cuts and bruises like her but that busted up shoulder the vamps gave him was the worst.

"Same."

Xander and Tara climbed down the stairs together, both needing to know the other was alright before descending into the problems they had to face. The morning started out slow as they took small bites of the food they were given and tried to adjust to the change in nutrition from whatever it was the vampires gave them.

Everyone had finished eating and Faith had flipped on the ancient looking TV by the time Wesley broke the silence and addressed the rescued kids. "Xander, Tara…We know you two have been through a great deal. We would like to know what happened, what is happening, what you saw, your point of view…but we understand if you want to wait. I can't imagine what they did to you. Just know that you must tell us soon. If we are to save the world, as seems to be the norm for us, we must have all the facts."

Xander and Tara looked at each other at the same time, a sad knowing in their eyes that they would break down in an instant. Even the thoughts of explaining what they went through was too much for the both of them. Their strength only took them so far so soon.

"Not yet Wes." Xander answered, moving to sit on a chair in the small living room and join the girls.

"Well if you have questions for us, just-"

"How did you guys know?" Tara suddenly asked from the couch, shocking everyone into looking at her. "To come find us. Did the spell work?"

"Spell?" Gunn furrowed his brows the same time Wesley did.

"Did it work?" Tara asked again, curling the blanket she had off the couch tighter around her body.

"We are not quite sure what happened." Wesley said, smiling at her as he settled in another chair.

"Not sure?" Xander asked, now curious about what had happened. While chained up in the basement together, so long ago, Cordy had mentioned using magic to escape but he never thought it possible. Especially since Willow had turned.

"It was me." Gunn said, rubbing his head as he recalled what happened, the memory of a sharp pain pulling from behind his eyes. "Cordy always talked about her visions but I didn't realize what it was like to have one until I did."

"It worked." Tara smiled a tiny smile and everyone turned to face her again. "The spell. I snuck out of my cell and did one with Cordy. She gave it to you."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Gunn stood and walked towards the others with his hands up. "Gave them to me? As in I'm going to keep getting them? Am I vision boy now?"

"Well she didn't kiss you." Wesley said with a bit of a pout at remembering his failed face to face encounters with Ms. Chase.

"Kiss me?" Gunn asked incredulously.

"Um-" Tara pulled their attention back. "I don't know. Now that she's…." She shook her head and everyone in the room silently finished that sentence for her.

"This one was bad enough." Gunn slipped back into his explanation grimly. He found his hand trailing back over his head and neck as he remembered the feel of the sudden attack. "I was just talking to Wesley when I fell down. Cordy she…well I guess I didn't give her enough credit for having those."

"I don't think any of us did." Wesley unhappily agreed.

Gunn took a breath and picked back up on his vision, "I saw these fierce looking dogs the size of monster trucks and a bunch of demons and vamps running around. Looked like the zombie apocalypse, without the zombies. I actually felt one of those dogs chomping down on my leg. Well, it wasn't my leg. It was the guy's leg in the vision. Kinda hard to explain. I knew I was at a hellmouth. Couldn't tell you how. Just a feeling or whatever. So we figured we had to go to Sunnydale. Or he figured," Gunn nodded at Wesley. "He's the brains here."

"Yes, I had a feeling something was wrong. Angel's calls grew further and further apart. They stopped making sense. After Cordelia…After she died he refused us altogether. He would not listen to our pleas to have him return. After Gunn's explanation of the landmarks from the vision, the pieces fell together. We knew something was amiss in more than just LA and that it was too big for the two of us to handle alone."

"That's when I came in." Faith said, proudly waiving the remote from her spot on the sofa. "Well, they asked me to." She nodded at Gunn and Wesley

"Begrudgingly." Wesley coldly replied.

"Don't try and use fancy words to tell me you're cranky." Faith joked, trying to lighten the already dark mood. "I was having weird dreams anyway. Thought it was just the daily dose of mystery meat we got in the slammer but they didn't feel right. Slayer dreams about the world going to hell."

"Then it did." Gunn agreed. "All those vamps and other stuff crawling around. Angel Inc. never had more business. Just no Angel there to run it."

"We assumed it was because he was dealing with something similar." Wesley added.

"We were pretty busy so he was getting Faith while I was taking care of Fred all while trying to save people in the streets."

"Fred?" Xander asked. "Who's he?"

"She." Gunn answered. "We saved her from this parallel- not important. We would've gotten to you guys sooner but just as we were getting ready to leave-"

"That gypsy came."

"Gypsy?" Xander asked as Tara's face flushed white.

Faith ran with a stake in her hands and a knife in her back pocket, Gunn and Wesley were behind her in the truck, and all three were charging down main street and zapping as many demons as they could on the way back to the Hyperion.

"Die evil sons of bitches!" Faith hollered at the sky as she ran, grateful to be running a stretch longer than the gated courtyard. She gave an extra cheerful victory shout as she slayed one vamp while simultaneously stabbing some kind of gray demon as Gunn shot his crossbow at a vamp trying to sneak up on her. "Wicked shot!"

They were nearly back to Angel Inc. for a refuel and magic supplies that Wesley hoped would guard certain parts of town with barrier spells. When they arrived they had someone new waiting in their lobby, a usual sight at this point, impatiently ringing the small bell on the table off the hook.

"Hey!" Gunn yelled to her as Wesley went behind the desk to grab a few things. "We're right here."

"Yeah and we're taking care of things so your bell ringing isn't going to help anyone." Faith added on.

"You are Angel Inc., correct?" The woman with flowing black hair and a harsh frown that did not match her pretty face went on as if they had not spoken.

"Yeah that'd be us." Gunn answered with a smile and muttered, "What's left of us."

"You want to do good? You want to stop what is happening?" The woman continued as Wesley came back into the room, looking at her curiously.

"Yes, that is the general idea."

She nodded and reached into her bag as she spoke, pulling out a shining glass bottle filled by an unearthly glow and slipped out a small vial of red blood. "There is a vampire in Sunnydale. She is the cause for this mayhem. She used a dark witch to open the hellmouths. I have a soul and a spell to put it in her body using my blood. She has wasted enough of my time. You can do it. Her name is Buffy. She will be at a mansion on the outskirts of town with a bony platinum man and a thickheaded psychopath."

"Buffy?" Faith asked cutting the woman off. "As in Buffy Summers?"

"How many Buffy's are there?" The woman asked rhetorically. "You know of this vampire?"

"Yes but…no she couldn't be…a vampire." Wesley gasped as he tried to pull it all together. "You must be mistaken. She's the slayer."

"I am not. She is a vampire that made a deal and she did not keep it. I now have many clients to deal with so you can do this. If you do not want to, I can find someone else. I only thought you would want to stop the hellmouths from being open and would be going there already."

Wesley shook his head and clumsily took all the items from her; the soul, the blood, and the handwritten spell. He had to shift the magical ingredients already in his hands over to Gunn as he tried to get her to stay. "No, we'll do it. Did you say the hellmouths were open? Plural? How many?"

"You took it." The woman turned away and started back for the entrance towards the chaotic streets. "I am done. I wash my hands of this."

"Wait!" Wesley called, shuffling behind her as he read her notes. "You have to tell us everything. This spell is different. It's darker than the regular gypsy magic. Where did you get this soul? What deal did you make with her? Who are you?"

"I've already wasted enough time-"

"Look lady," Faith physically cut her off from the door, holding her knife in her palm threateningly. "You're not going anywhere till you tell us what's going on here."

"I said I was done." The woman pushed Faith away with a flick of the hand, her magic doing the work for her. It was just as she reached for the handle to the door when Gunn shouted, "We'll pay you!"

His instincts from living on the streets were correct. She turned with a smile and eyed him up and down as she asked, "How much?"

"Florica told us everything she knew." Wesley finished for Gunn before he made Xander and Tara relive the explanation of what they already lived through.

"Yeah," Gunn said with a scoff. "Cost me my favorite axe."

"You're lucky she didn't take more." Tara said coldly and everyone turned to see what was wrong but she was too busy picking at the edges of her blanket to notice.

"We realized our mistake and left that night." Wesley continued. "Angel's soul and the spell in our hands."

"Getting out of the city was the hard part." Gunn added. "Everything's gone to hell."

"We left some people we trust behind but I don't know what they can do." Wesley said thinking of the law firm ready to take the winning side, the age of Gunn's young friends, the allies they had lost, and the ones they had left. "We need to stop this at the source. Lord knows how the rest of the world is coping. I'm sure the council is no help. They'll just sit around waiting to tell others what to do. Those poor people."

"Wait," Xander said as he followed along. "If you got the soul and did the spell, where is our favorite thickheaded psychopath?"

"He's not coming." Faith said angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and turning the mute off the TV, what little input she had coming to an abrupt halt in that one move.

"What?" Xander asked her but she ignored him and watched the commercial intently. "I mean," He turned to the others. "I'm not his biggest fan, no news there, but where is he then?"

"I don't understand." Tara said gently, turning back to the boys. "Why wouldn't he come?"

"He's still Angelus." Wesley answered, watching Faith out of the corner of his eye for any signs of her lashing out as he spoke. "And will unfortunately remain that way. Perhaps forever."

"But it was his soul," Tara continued with a confused expression. "I saw you complete the spell. If you didn't put it back inside of him…Where is it?"

After a pregnant pause that filled the room with a blanket of tension Wesley gave the solemn answer, "With the one that needed it most."


	31. Just One Moment

"Buffy?" Spike called again as he swept his eyes over the mess he found.

The shack was bare of most things and, clearly, no one had lived there for a long while. The light of the sun delicately started to shine through the cracks in the boarded windows and illuminated the piles of dust coating the old furniture. Most of it was wooden and broken down, filling up the two main rooms.

Buffy was curled up in the corner of the room the door led into, a sort of kitchen and den. Her hair was disheveled and her fingers scratched at her arms. Her makeup was wiped down, black running from her eyes tracking where her tears fell, blood mixing and trailing from her nose where she ripped out her missing piercings, and the red of her lips smeared on the back of her hands. Her clothes, everything but the grey lace bra and matching underwear, were thrown to the side and ripped to pieces, leaving no barrier to prevent the splinters jutting out of the wall from piercing her skin.

Spike entered as quick as he could, shoving the door closed and shucking his jacket off as he knelt before her. She refused to look up at him, her head resting between her knees and the sobs coming out in gasps. He wasn't sure what to do as he watched her shake, so he pulled his jacket around her back and let it clump against the wall as she refused to put it on or move. He put a hand over her scratching fingers and forced her to stop picking at the skin of her forearm as he called out to her again, "Buffy, love, what's wrong?"

This only caused a massive gulp from her, followed by another cycle of body racking sobs. Spike waited patiently with his hand moving up her arm and to her head as he pet her hair away from her face. Through the silence, one thought domineered over the rest.

He was going to _kill_ Angel.

Whatever that souled up bastard did, however he left her in this exposed position, there was nowhere he could run. Nothing on the damned planet would stop him from ripping that cold dead heart directly from his chest and tearing that enormous head right off his shoulders. Death would take him in one big gust of righteous wind and Spike would relish the fact that he would never return.

As the sun's rays grew stronger, Buffy's sobs turned to incoherent muttering. It took Spike a while to understand anything she was saying as he watched her lips move against her thighs. "Me- me- I- I-I-I-I- broke- but- Dawn- she- she- her- h- legs- G-Giles- can't- can't- can't- can't- Ang- Angel- me- me- chi- Will- ooo- Xan- and- and- all- blood is-isn- mine- ca- wrong- wr- out- out- out- out- out- out- out- out- out- OUT- OUT!"

Buffy's hands started to subconsciously scratch again following her outburst and Spike grabbed her wrists smartly, trying to grasp her attention as well now that she had started talking. "Me out? Leave? What are you saying? I can't understand what you're saying." He dropped her arm to grab her under the chin, needing answers if they were going to get anywhere. "What did Angel do?"

Buffy gave a heartless laugh mixed in with a gasp as her head lulled and she whispered. "In- in-inside me."

Inside her? Spike's grip tightened to the point of bruises as his rage skyrocketed to a point far beyond murderous. "WHAT DID HE FUCKING DO?!"

"He is-" She gawkily pointed a hand back to her body from Spike's hold, flinching from his close scream. "Is-"

"He is? Is he here?" Spike took another moment to look around but even sitting stock-still he could sense no one else there. "He is what?" Feeling hopelessly lost and without answer, he let her wrists go and tried to find the meaning in the gaps. At least with Dru he usually knew the cause of her pain and rambling. "What did he do? Tell me. Give me something."

Buffy worked her mouth for a time, her eyes glazing over as she watched the desert dust near her feet, unmoving yet too interesting to look away. Eventually she was able to get the thoughts together and mumble, "This- this is worse."

"Worse? Worse than what?" Spike watched and waited, his cheek bitten to a bloody mess as he tried to stop himself from pushing her further. "Please, pet. Please talk to me."

"I thought," Buffy swallowed and tried again, fighting the weight pressing down on her entirety as her voice continued to struggle. "I thought being ripped from heaven…an- and remembering and dragged back to earth, I thought that was hell. I was wrong…This is worse. This is so much worse."

Spike held his head in his hands as hers fell to her knees again and he tried to piece together what she said.

It all settled in at once, like an anvil dropping from the sky and landing on his chest. Whether it was his mind subconsciously stringing it all together or the feeling he picked up from her, he could not be sure. He only knew that she had a, "Soul? Angel's soul? You- you have-" She gave the faintest nod that sent his world spinning off its axis and he fell back to the ground.

"I want it OUT!" She screamed into her legs and started to speedily rock her body in seek of necessary comfort with her arms curled behind her neck in an angular fetal position.

Spike didn't hesitate. He grabbed her into his lap and pulled his arms around her, keeping her close as he rocked her body. At first she settled into him, her forehead pressing into his neck as he tried to calm her with words he didn't understand. Their versions of what would be alright and fixing the problem were not the same so the they didn't really mean anything.

Suddenly, she pushed him away. She thumped her fists into his chest and kicked until she was back in her corner, untangled from his jacket, angrily glaring at him like a wounded animal as he adjusted to the sudden change. She growled, "Get away from me."

The sting of such harsh rejection hit him with the same speed as his realization and the same heaviness in his heart. He pulled up from the ground and crouched to her level. "Buffy, I'm-"

"No! Get away!"

"And go where?!" He shouted back, gesturing towards the door. "The sun is out."

"Is it?" She followed his hand and instantly became mystified by the rays sneaking in. She abruptly stood and started walking towards the door he entered through. Spike dove forward, grabbed her by the waist, turned her around, and found himself too shocked to say anything. "Let me go!" She screamed.

"No." He snarled behind gritted teeth with all the boldness he could muster as his fingers curled in a vice-like grip.

"What's the point? I'm a vampire." She reached out her hand and let the tips of her fingers slide into the small band of sun. The undead flesh started to pink but Spike snapped her hand away before it could burn. "I'm the slayer. I kill vampires."

"You can't kill yourself."

His fanatical statement was met with maniacal laughter, "It's funny. The slayer in me would rather die than be a vampire. The Angel in me has lived with it so long that it just makes me want to brood. Brood and brood until someone dusts me….like a slayer."

Spike slammed his eyes tight and leaned his lips against her forehead as she stood with her gaze longing towards the handle. "Please. We'll figure this out."

Buffy snapped again and pushed him hard in the chest, across the room, away from her and against one of the counters, sending dust spinning in his wake. "Figure what out? No one can help me. I can't go back. I can't change anything. Besides, don't you want me this way? Don't you miss having Buffy with a soul? The one you fell in love with? And now you get best of both! Soul and vampire. Me and the blood thirsty murderer."

"Stop."

"Stop what? Telling the truth?!"

"I'm trying to help you."

"Because you love me?! You love the Slayer, vampire, all of me? Really? You want it all? Fine." She opened her arms and gestured him forward, at the same time kicking a broken wooden chair and scooping up the leg that broke off. "But I'll have none of you."

"So that's it then?" Spike yelled, pushing off the counter but staying away from the raised weapon. "Going back to killing me are you? After all we've been through?"

"Been through?!" She stalked forward and they circled around the table in the center of the room like kids playing keep away. "You turned me into this blood sucking demon."

"That wasn't me!"

"You helped! You taught me!"

"You asked!"

"Yeah! Well- You were- You can't- you-….You're right." Buffy sank back, her sudden burst of clarity gone with the logic. She let the stake fall from her fingertips and her body started to shake from the inside out as she backed towards the door. "It was me. I did this. I killed them all. I am killing them. The hellmouths, Willow, Angelus, Dawn, they're all because of me. I can't stop them. I can't k-k-ki-kill- I can't- Dawn- she's- she's-" Spike came around the table to lay a hand on her exposed shoulder but she pushed him away before he could, screaming, "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"What do you want me to do?! I don't know what to do," He cried, walking in place with a hand rubbing his face harshly before turning back to her with as much desperation in his voice as he felt. "I don't know what to bloody do. Just tell me what to do. Tell me how to help you!"

"Take it away!" She screamed before slamming her hands over her smeared face and throwing them out in pleading fists. "Take it all away. Tell me it's not real. Please. Tell me this is hell- this is a nightmare. Tell me. Please, tell me I'm going to wake up. Tell me."

"We'll fix it. I'll fix it."

"By taking it out?" She scoffed through her tears.

"Yeah." Spike shrugged, his hands still held limply out towards her. "If that's what you want."

For a long while she paused. Her gaze focused on the dust flying in the sunbeams and only the black of her pupils darted about as the rest of her stayed unmoving. When she finally spoke it was in a slow hushed whisper, "So I can murder more? The whole world? No."

"Then no." Spike reassured her, taking a small step in her direction. "We can figure it out. Just step back from the door, alright?"

As he reached to pull her from those deadly beams, she pushed him once again, slamming him to the same place as before. "Stop! Why are you doing this?"

"I just want to take the pain away. Buffy, please let me."

"You can't. You of all…you can't."

"I love you." His fingers dug into the lip of the counter, his muscles straining to keep himself in place as he forced himself to stay away. "Let me try."

"After all I've done to you."

"You haven't done anything."

"What you've done to me."

"What've I done?"

"I don't know who I am!" She snapped again, almost falling as her body bent with her screams. "I don't know what's right. I shouldn't- can't-"

"Can't what?" He pushed off the counter and took a step closer to the ticking time bomb. "Speak to me. Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because you did-"

"What? What did I do?"

"I do- I do- but-"

"Do what?"

"Love you! Okay? Because in all this I still can't look at you without…because I still love you. Still- But I can't. I shouldn't- I can't- it's not- I can't- no."

Spike's voice broke as he murmured, "You love me?"

"Oh god," She gasped with lips trembling and curled her fingers into her hair, pulling at the roots as she started pacing

"You tell me now. This, _this_ is how you-" He stopped his frustrated gestures, ignored the feeling of everything simultaneously handed to him on a silver platter and ripped away in the same breath, and turned on her as he realized what else she said, "You still?"

"Spi- st-stop."

"Just tell me. I deserve to know." He ignored the danger, moved in front of her and held up his begging hands. "Do you still love me? Tell me what you're feeling."

"What I'm feeling is pain! That's all! Everything is just so- why can't it come out?" She slapped at her chest as she turned away again. "Why can't you take it out of me? Get it out! Get it out! Oh god please- I can't- I don't know how- I- Please let me just-" Spike stopped her frantic pacing when she steered too close to the door and snatched her back into place. "Don't touch me!" She pushed him away but he didn't give up and reached out again. Her defiance grew weaker as she longed to fall into a comforting embrace even if she knew it was one she did not deserve. "Don't- please don't-" He pushed again, grabbed her by the cheeks, swept a thumb under her eyes and smeared those black lines out. When she had blinked her fresh tears away she swallowed her sob and warned, "Please stop."

He leaned his forehead against hers yet again, mentally trying to extract those troubling thoughts from her mind with only touches. "No." He whispered in response to her request and tilted his head down for a tender kiss but as soon as his lips met hers she felt a sudden repulsion and pushed him away as far as he could go, his body slamming hard against the old cupboards and breaking a door off its hinge to reveal nothing but more dust.

"I said don't touch me!"

"What else am I supposed to do?! I don't know what else to do!" He exploded, bursting with anxiety from the inside. He breathed deep and tried again. He walked over slowly as if approaching a timid doe, his hand gently raised as he shuffled around the broken bits of furniture to reach her, timorously kicking the make-shift stakes out of their way as he did. "You have to let me help you. Please for once stop being so bloody stubborn and let me help. Let me take care of you."

As soon as his hand rested against her cheek she pushed him away and twisted him into the table, scraping it along the floor. He reached out to hold her again and she hit his hands away, punching him once in the gut while her fists swung. He grunted but reached out again, trying to pull her in by her arms. She punched his chest and when that didn't stop him from trying, she went for his face. When her fist collided with his cheek he fell to the side and she stepped back for a moment, a look of utter pain shifting through her before he came to her again.

Even with blood dripping from his chin he tried to reach out for her. Everything turned red as she sent punch for punch after him, her eyes closed for every one. He staggered with each hit, every time trying to reach back for her. She cried and screamed and kicked until he was flat against the wall she had curled herself into, near crumbling to the ground.

"Fight back! Why won't you fight back?!"

"No."

"Do it!"

"No."

She screamed and started to hit him again, throwing in her pleas between the sound of her foot thumping into his side. "Fight back. Hit me back. Defend yourself! Hit me back!"

"No." Spike sniffed, wiped the blood and sand away from his mouth, and looked up at her from his kneeling position in the dirt. "You need to punch and scream and fight to make yourself feel better? Then do it. I'm your punching bag. So use me. I'm all yours."

She screamed again, picked him up by the shirt, and pinned him up against the wall, shaking him against the side and sending every small splinter he had noticed slicing against his skin. The pain he felt did not matter. All he needed was to take hers away.

She pulled back and started to punch him again but she couldn't find the strength to make it hurt. Every release of the arm grew weaker and weaker until she felt her body starting to collapse under her and her will to keep her tears back failing.

Spike's arms rose on their own to wrap the poor girl up tight as she sobbed dryly into his chest. She clung to his shirt for support, stretching it as he held her up, rocking her side to side as he kissed her head and let her weep. Against his body she managed to calm herself down and it was in his arms that she had the thought.

Just one moment of pure happiness and it would all be over.

"I love you." She barely whispered, so quiet she wasn't sure even Spike could hear, though he answered her.

"I love you, Buffy."

She pulled away from his chest, studied his face, and made her move. With a fierce push she slammed him back up against the wall she had been beating him into and grabbed his face in her hands. She pulled his mouth down and started her attack, pushing his mouth open and forcing her tongue inside. The blood hit her taste buds and her demon started to react, driving her to continue with her plan to clear her mind. His blood, her blood; it was all sweet. None of it meant to cross over her slayer tongue. Yet, it was there, calling her and dragging the weight that crushed her back into full swing. Behind stinging eyes she could see the sun climbing into her peripheral vision and she knew what she had to do.

No more confusion. No more pain. Everything would make sense again.

Her fingers tore at the base of Spike's shirt until she had ripped it up his body and forced him to lift his arms. She tilted her head into his mouth as her hands scraped down his front and found the belt to his jeans. As she started to undo the strap holding it down she backed towards the other room in hopes of a surface to easily throw him down.

As they reached the door frame Spike threw out an arm and stopped them in their tracks. It took great strength for him to pull away from her so he could say, "Buff- I know what you're doing. You don't- you don't want this. You just said you would rather keep it."

"Please. It's too much. If- I'll walk out the door."

"I'll walk right after you."

"No. Please. Spike, please." Desperation poured itself into every one of her kisses. Spike slammed his eyes closed in the confusion he felt as his heart played tug-of-war.

Buffy was strong. To hear her say such things, to talk of burning herself in the suns beams, he could not bear it. He would do everything and anything to take that pain from her. Only, what could he expect after? This was all initial shock that both she and he did not understand. She wanted the soul out and if he did not help her she would either end her existence or live every day tormented, brooding, ending up like Angel. He would lose her and she would lose herself.

Indeed, there was no chance of ever having the original Buffy back. She did die that day. The only paths ahead of her were one of destruction and pain, all alone, or one of chaotic adventure, one with him in it, one he could make the best for her with her family by her side. She knew this as well. It was why she was asking for his help. For that final push. How could he refuse her when she was begging as she was? She loved him. Oh god she loved him and he loved her and there was only one route that would lead to them being together.

"Might be your only chance at having one again."

"I didn't ask for this." She shook her head, the tears falling over with her movements. "For any of it."

"I know." His lips fell on her forehead and trailed down as he slid his hands through her hair, over her neck, around her shoulders, and down her waist.

Before the gusto in her decision left her she launched at him again, bringing harsh passionate kisses back up to a painful speed as she pushed him into the next room and -with her sensitive eyes- found the small twin bed tucked in the corner. She was just about to push him back when he spun her around and laid her down over the musty blankets and pillows. His hands fell to her thighs where he lifted her up and centered her on the small frame before lining his hipbones against hers and gliding their torsos together.

With eyes closed, her hands fumbled down his front and found the band to his jeans again. Her hands were pushed away and with a humph of confusion she pulled her head back and looked into his broken countenance.

"Let me take care of you."

With that agonizing request, her hand floated to the wounds she created on his face and she pulled him gently back down, kissing the blood away and slipping a hand to rub over the bruises on his torso. She silently lay back as he swept his lips over hers for a moment more before sliding them up to her nose and gently caressing the open wounds from her missing studs. Trailing down again he slipped over her neck and over her chest, up her arm to the absent-minded scratches she caused on her forearms. Still open and beading blood, he tried to be as gentle as possible as he flicked out the tip of his tongue and stopped those beads from bubbling over and swirling down the rest of her.

When he glanced back to her, as his mouth traveled up her arm, he saw the continuously verging tears starting to tumble over and he moved to kiss those wounds away as well, knowing better than to ask if she wanted to continue. His hands traveled to the straps on her bra and pulled one over her shoulder, landing his mouth there as his hand snuck under her body and expertly undid the clasp. He slid the fabric out from under her and pulled it slowly around her arms, making sure to avoid the cuts she had caused herself or sending more sand into them.

When he came back to her, he tilted his head down to her stomach and kissed his way up her body, sliding his mouth over the curves of her breasts and circling his tongue over the sensitive pink of her nipple until it pebbled under his touch. His hands simultaneously worked to slide his fingers under the fabric of her panties and guide them over her hips. She lifted into the touch, distracted by his lips on her and he gently pulled the fabric away, sliding off the small bed to free it from her completely.

His splayed hands continued to dance down her body and float over her abdomen as his mouth pushed against her thighs. Her eyes continued to bolt themselves shut, trying to close out all things from her mind and they only started to relax when his body rested back on the bed and his soft lips played at her center, his tongue slowly slipping through her folds. His made a leisurely pass up and rubbed the hot, rough surface against her clit in a tempered glide. She could not stop the physical reaction, the twitch that pulsed through her body, or the momentary, pleasurable catalyst it caused.

His hands curled around the base of her waist and he slipped his tongue roughly over her again, pulling a small moan from her lips that made him groan in return as he felt his body reacting -his member hardening against the zip on his jeans. He pulled his tongue through her folds again and circled it over her clit in distracting passes until she lost her thoughts and started curving into him.

It was all so hard for her. The thoughts and worries and terrible amounts of guilt kept spinning just in front of her, slamming into her all at the same time. She mentally could not handle it all at once. Already she could feel the guilt in the decision she made as every pass, every flick of Spike's tongue, it all made her feel an unearned moment of pleasure. It broke her heart to know how desperately he wanted to help, how much he was willing to do to help her, what he was doing now. It was all she could focus on as everything else ached and pulled her apart from the inside. She had to melt into Spike or burn with her conscience.

He pulled his tongue down and dragged it over her, pulling it to her entrance and kissing his way back up her center. She moaned and he continued to randomize the moves he made -first with small licks, then building in pressure, moving faster until she started to keen and he slowed to languid swipes. Her fingers jumped as they pulled at the sheets and he felt his fingers grasping in return around her back, pulling her down on him. He whined when he felt his groin press against the mattress but he shut it out to focus on her, to feel every move she made. Every sense focused on her until he moved in exactly the way she needed. Every gasp, turn of the head, scrape of the nail, every sweet smell, and every luscious taste -he used them all for her.

The sensations built behind his attentive touches and he led his tongue to her entrance. He circled around and pushed the tip past her yielding muscles. With a rewarding gasp, he started thrusting it in and out of her until her hands started scratching at the back of his head and pulling his hair up with her nails. When he was sure she was prepared to accept him, he released her and pulled himself up to her neck and started to suck her flesh, their bodies lying flush against each other once again, every inch of sensitive skin grinding together. She gratefully curved into his chest and he slipped his hand from her side and back down to where his tongue had been, slipping in a finger and pushing against the inside of her walls.

He could feel her body relax, move with the bend of his wrist, and drip with pleasure as he dipped in another finger and started to push further inside, flicking his thumb over her clit as he did. She arched into his touch and stumbled until her hands found his jeans and she undid the button and zip with ease this time, pushing at the curve of his waist until he slipped out and let his aching erection free. The jeans were easily kicked and thrown off the end of the small bed towards her undergarments.

Leaning over her, he lined up his body, pulsing against her, and searched her face for permission to do what they both knew would change everything. Her eyes went back to clenching shut and he had to draw her out of her focus with a kiss on the each lid, on the lips, and a plea, "Look at me."

Her misty eyes freed themselves and she met his gaze. There was so much pain and confusion but also something more. Just behind that wall of catastrophic panic was something that led him to believe she had not lied before. A part of her connected with him in a way he always knew was there. The love those eyes held was shambled, repressed, and mesmerizing. And it was there for him.

She leaned up, kissed him gently, and looked up at him with a quick nod before meeting his lips languidly and pulling his hips forward with her palms. He bowed into her silent request, slipped the head of his member against her slippery folds, and pushed.

As he pressed inside, her walls clenched and she rounded up, giving a freeing sigh, as if this action alone would release her from the burden she felt. She rotated her hips as he slipped in again, his lips sliding over her neck and to her ear where he whispered he loved her followed by plenty of thoughtful comforts and heartfelt praises.

With a pant she returned his devotion and pulled her hands around him as he curled his arms under her and embraced her as best he could, wrapping her completely. In their close hold, he pulled up her exposed body and thrust into her. With his nose near her neck and her forehead in his shoulder he drove faster and harder, groaning at the cries she made and rejoicing as they momentarily forgot their worries in their moment of physical bliss.

The world faded away as they climbed together and those moans turned to pants for more and the build grew to the height it was destined to. Buffy stared clenching around him and he pulled a hand down to swipe over her clit as she screamed out with a wave of pleasure and he soon followed.

* * *

When Spike's eyes opened that afternoon, he sprawled out forgetting where he was or what had happened for just the briefest moment. He reached out for Buffy like usual and jumped when he found his hand painfully colliding with a wall and his nose bombarded with dirt and a terribly stale odor. It all came flooding back to him and he realized what had transpired the night before.

With a jolt, he jumped from the bed and searched around the room but Buffy was nowhere to be found. He called her name and ran through the small shack but she was gone. In the dust by the corner where she had huddled, his jacket lay folded next to a small note written with a finger dragged through the splotches of dried blood.

_Sorry_


	32. Remember Them All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like people are a bit more OOC than normal in this chapter. Apologies. Next chapter will be up sooner :)
> 
> I'll go ahead and add a self-harm trigger warning. It's not really in this chapter but there are hints and I don't want anyone shocked. I don't plan to make it a part of this story but the hints/thoughts will be there.

The blood was pumping all around her, thumping in her ears, joined by demons growling and humans screaming for mercy. The smell of that disorder peaked her interest and her demon snarled out of her, sending her prey running for their lives. She smirked to the sky and breathed in deep with a sigh.

Everything was perfect.

One of Willow's beasties came charging in front of her while chasing a snakeskin demon and brought her attention back to the ground with a strong gust of wind that threw fresh smells of fear her way.

As the large paw left a heavy print in the pavement, she squinted through the blur of fur and made out the couple running away. They were some of the humans her group of vampires had corralled and offered protection. It was clear these two declined and they probably thought they could escape their game of _join or die_. Well she had news for them.

She ran after them, around the corner of the alley, and chased them straight to the edge of town. The closest beastie jumped in front of the humans and leaned down, all three heads snarling as it listened to its command; no one was to leave the city alive. It seemed these two would not be undead but rather dead-dead. That worked for her.

The dog barked and Buffy took a step back out of instinct, leaving the beast to hover over its meal. The humans looked up in fear and cowered away but they were stuck, unable to run. The middle head snapped down onto the closest human's thigh and his screams filled the air -just as the sky lit up in a burst of white. Buffy looked away from the bloodbath and up at the mysterious falling star but tilted her head in confusion as the light seemed to flicker and fade. All of a sudden she was overcome with a brightness that surrounded every part of her.

Then came the pain.

She collided with the ground suddenly and powerfully as if hit by an airplane crash landing on her chest. Everything burned and she felt an explosion of power ripping her open from the inside, her screams joining those around her as she rolled on the sidewalk in agony. Everything was circling around her, too fast for her eyes to adjust, she could not comprehend what was happening.

Then it all stopped.

It took all her strength as she pushed to a sitting position, leaned against the brick wall behind her, and stared. It was as if someone had carved out her heart with that damn dragon blade and the magic healed her over, replacing the organ with a significant emptiness.

It felt wrong.

She could feel her demon trying to purge this sensation from her body but she could not fight it. The emptiness grew as her eyes traveled around the chaos and she realized she did this. She did this.

This was her fault.

Suddenly the emptiness in her chest felt like the weight of the world. All those around her, injured or broken…she did that. Her eyes caught that of the man she had been chasing, the one attacked by the three-headed dog. Blood pooled around his body and she felt entranced by the shimmering liquid. She could smell it, she wanted it, her throat started to ache at the thought of a taste, even after how much she drank that night, but she would not take it.

Another look over his body and she concluded he was not breathing. He was dead. Dead because of her. This man and so many others died directly because of her. She killed. She was a murderer. She was a destroyer. She took their futures away in the name of revenge, power, and bloodlust.

She couldn't comprehend it. It was so much. Too much.

So, she ran. She ran and ran and ran.

All she could think about was escaping that chaos. She wanted to be alone and she needed to get away. Without being conscious of the decision in direction, she found her feet pushing against large piles of sand. She struggled through the dunes and continued to run aimlessly towards the horizon. She had no destination in mind but when she came across the shack she knew that was where she needed to go.

With her heightened senses crowding her mind in a dizzying fog, she did not comprehend if there was a danger lurking inside. She crashed through the front door and slammed it behind, throwing herself into it as she felt her legs start to quake and fail. With a quick glance around the room to see what was around, her eyes caught the shine of her boots and the flash of red on her nails.

The shining red of her polish flickered in front of her eyes and swallowed her vision from the outside in. Everything transformed into a harsh shade of crimson and she felt a familiar overflow of pure emotion swell from inside. Her body shook as the panic started to flow and the clothes that hung tightly to her body turned constricting. She screamed as she felt everything press against her, swallowing her up, and she scratched those tendrils away.

With sharp nails she clawed at the zipper on her shoes and kicked them across the room. Her fingers tried to grab at the fishnets crisscrossing up her thighs but she could not get a good hold and instead ripped them away, splitting them open as she tossed them as well. Her skirt came next and she tried to undo the zip but her fingers kept slipping. She cried out again and pulled as hard as she could, completely ripping the metal from the tangs. She pulled harder and her eyes flashed gold as her vampire-slayer strength came through and the leather completely ripped away. She did not bother with the complicated clasps on her corset and tore it apart, throwing it to the ground.

With the clothes gone she felt a sense of relief but the red flashed again as she ran a hand over her face and felt her hair fall short, sticking to the wet patches on her cheeks. She pulled at the roots until her hands fell forward and her tears brought a smudge of black against her palm. She cried out again, wiped her face up and down, and picked at the distortions beading out from her nose. She scratched at the mismatching texture and pulled at the metal until each stud fell below her, bringing her a shot of pain with every drop.

She continued to wipe at her face but when she pulled back this time she saw a drop of red slipping down her palm and circling around her wrist. She froze and sank to the ground as she watched the red liquid crawl. It was blood. It was not her blood. She was dead. She had none to give. This was the blood of her last victim. But which one? There were so many, how could she know?

She slapped both hands against her face and scrubbed, her hands only gaining more color, the bloody shade of her lipstick swirling into the mix. It only brought about images of sinking her fangs into soft flesh, taking a gulp, and letting the liquid drip off her chin. She pulled at her short locks and yanked her head into her knees as she rocked her body back and forth, wailing into the empty space.

It all felt so familiar, so hard, so painful. It was as if she knew what this moment meant, as if she knew she deserved to be punished with this –a soul. The burden dug deep as she continued to try and fight it, push it away, but it only got worse. Worse and worse, until she could actually see and hear her victim's fresh in front of her.

She could hear Giles' last words and see Dawn reaching out to her -a broken back keeping her locked down to the ground. She could see Xander chained up with blood dripping from his mouth, Cordy tied to the ground as Buffy brought the knife to her, and Tara's terrified eyes blinking in the dark. She could see Angel begging her to stop on the dirt under the streetlight, Spike falling to the ground with a shout as the orange glow from the spell burned his demon, and Willow shrinking into a deformed, dark image of herself with black eyes that seemed to look everywhere at once. The faces of many nameless humans surrounded her, all screaming out as she took their lives from them in death or the change.

Then, Jenny Calendar appeared near the corner of her eye. She snapped her attention there but just as soon as she appeared she disappeared, replaced with someone she recognized as former classmates, then faces she had never seen. She shook in terror as the bodies shifted around her and took on different attire, one she was not used to, spanning back decades. Memories flooded of former kills, traveling with a group of vampires, and taking pleasure in the dance of the hunt. Her mind tore open with the flickers between her past and a past that did not belong to her as she realized what life she was seeing and feeling.

Every one of them pressed another weight onto her chest and she felt such a core sense of guilt that she did not know how to handle it. As a whine left her throat she threw her hands over her head and tried to block them out. A hand over her ears and her eyes hidden behind her knees did nothing to get their voices and faces out of her mind. Nothing was working and she was left to her madness as she rocked back and forth, pulling at the pain because it was all she could feel.

* * *

The sun had not quite set when she woke up. The yellow was fading out of the room as she turned and spotted Spike with his arm curled under his head and the other limply laying across her side. With a small hint at a smile she watched him sleep, thinking he somehow looked more alive than dead. His eyes flickered and his mouth twitched as he dreamed and she found comfort in knowing he had the ability. She could only hope it was a good dream, one that could bring him peace, for she knew she would not find any of her own.

What she had expected -what they both had hoped- did not come to pass. The dead surrounded her and the weight of two pasts pressed against her, crushing her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She did not have to wonder long about why it did not work. A pure moment of happiness? How could she ever be happy again?

Angel's soul had not left her. It would not leave her and she would be forced to face what she had done.

She felt dirty as she looked down at her naked body, wrapped up under Spike's arm and the corner of a musty blanket. The knowledge that she tried to break away from the pain filled her with overwhelming disappointment in herself. The fact that she manipulated Spike into doing it just made it worse. He deserved better. Perhaps it was best they would not be together again.

She slipped out from under him and replaced her body with a pillow as she knelt to the floor and pulled on the undergarments that had been thrown away. As she dressed in what she had left, she stared at his sleeping figure, an ache pulling harshly in her chest above the rest that was in no haunting form.

The ultimate pain came when she realized Spike was now her enemy. In the balance of good and evil, she now supposed she had to fight the good fight to make up for what she had done. Spike would be evil and she would be some deformed form of good. She didn't feel it, all she could sense was darkness, but Angel's soul –her soul now- was telling her it was the right thing. She was the Slayer yet again, come back from the dead. Again. And she had to fix what she did.

Spike was the enemy, just like old times. In old times, she would have longed for a chance alone with him so she could drive a stake through that heart. Could she really kill him now? She leaned in close, hovered over his sleeping figure, eyed the plentiful possibilities of homemade stakes lying about, and kissed him gently on the forehead before turning away. No, she could not. Spike would not die by her hand. She would never let him die because of her. She had always had an excuse not to kill him anyway.

She found the never ending tears starting to trail down as she leaned against the door frame and glanced back. She had told him she loved him. Of course, she always knew it on some level. It was just like her -just like them- to say it at the worst possible moment. There were so many wasted opportunities. It was all lost now. To love a man like him, watching from the other side, separated by the roles they had to play…she knew it would be unbearable. She had lived in this situation for far too long already.

An odd memory washed over her from the touch of Angel's soul and an odd sense of love flowed through her. It was as if she could feel him there with her amongst the ghosts. She shook away the strange feeling of self-love mixing with the distant, faded love she had for the person the soul belonged to and crossed into her own memories of both Angel and Spike. The stupid men were willing to sacrifice so much for her, what could she do for them in return?

The more of her that took over, the angrier she became thinking on her future alone –separated from those she loved most. Dawn and Spike would be beyond her reach, forever marked a target for the tip of her weapon. She could not bear it. She would never hurt them.

The voices of the dead became louder and Angel's presence shrank smaller, fading into the background. She felt them chanting at her, telling her how wrong she was, how terrible she was, that this was all her fault. Soon the feeling of remorse built too much within her, the sensation of her world tearing apart tearing her apart as well, and she knew she would explode if she did not look away. She took one last peek, memorizing the way Spike's eyes moved, the dip in his scar on his brow, the way his hands twitched across the pillow he still thought to be her, and the way his body lay at rest, before turning to face her redemption.

When she turned into the next room and found the mess they had caused, she felt a new sting fly through her. The pain and those haunting images continued to spiral around, taunting her with what she had confessed and what she tried to do. She glanced towards the door where he fought to keep her away from an ashy death and shame poured over her again.

She ignored her useless pile of clothes, knelt to the ground, and lifted his jacket wondering if she could take the duster with her to cover her exposed body as she made her journey to unknown places. Though it would be a comfort, she could take no more from him and instead folded it on the ground, leaving a simple message of goodbye before walking out that door completely.

The travel was long, all through more sand and desert, and she did not recognize the location her tracking skills took her when she finally arrived. Hidden behind a valley of dunes was a very tiny two-story house of sorts. It was battered and beaten with a jeep and the front part of a semi parked outside. She recognized the semi-truck as the one she had stolen with her vampires and nodded to herself, knowing she found the correct place, not bothering to question how the truck ended up there. Her body, though strong, ached as she forced her beaten feet to keep moving in the hopes of rest, though the taunts in her mind made it clear that would never happen.

She could hear people moving about and talking inside as she moved closer, unsure of what she should do. Her mind was not focusing as the cries of the pasts swirled about and she could not settle on a proper question or plan. Could they take her in? Would they kill her? Would she let them?

Her body continued to move on autopilot as she lifted her hand and knocked on the door. All movement inside stopped simultaneously and a moment of silence followed. Quiet shuffling was the only sound before the door swung open and Faith came into view, a stake by her side and an arm hugging her body in a sling. The other Slayer seemed shocked as she took in the appearance of the shambolic, beaten vampire. Buffy was shaking as she stood in the door, waiting for something to happen.

After a moment where Faith took a second glance, the stake in her hand curling in her fist, she leaned back and called, "It's her. She's here."

Faith turned away and the door opened fully to expose the other occupants of the house. Wesley and Gunn stood with weapons at the ready, opposite her. Xander and Tara were in the next room, each with a weapon of their own in their hand. Buffy listened to their frantic hearts and breathing as she continued to stand exposed and defenseless on their doorstep.

As Faith turned away, Gunn and Wesley slowly lowered their weapons, staring at her with untrusting gazes. "And does she have-"

"Ask her." Faith snapped, spinning her stake in her hand as she jumped on the stool by the bar in the kitchen and waited for the shit to hit the fan while pretending to seem disinterested.

"Buffy," Wesley started slowly, gently setting one foot in front of the other as he approached her, much like he would a wild animal. "This may seem like a rather odd question but...do you have a soul?"

Buffy tilted her head and slowly nodded, covering her arms around her uncovered flesh as the human stalked closer. She glimpsed around at the others, her eyes taking in more detail than necessary with their blatant hatred written all over their expression. She suddenly felt the need to escape again and almost turned to run in the other direction when she heard Xander explode.

"Are you gonna let her in?" He angrily called out from the next room and Buffy turned to him, watching intently as he gripped tighter to his stake, rocking back and forth to stop himself from charging.

Buffy's voice cracked as she pushed a finger towards the threshold and whispered, "You have- you have to invite me in."

"Right," Wesley shook his head and sighed as he grabbed the door and gestured towards the house. "Right, of course. Come in, Buffy."

Faith's hand tightened on her weapon as Wesley stood aside and Buffy dipped her foot into the house. Everything happened quick when the rest of her followed. Wesley grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her into the adjoining room. She stumbled along as Gunn popped up behind with a chair and she was shoved down. She allowed them to control her as they chained her down in iron and laid out a ring of crosses, each one placed close together in a circle around her and she watched the invisible barrier form. It would not harm her, she could easily jump over them, but it would stall her. Each had a stake carved into the end so anyone could grab a cross and do away with her. It wasn't like they could have a moat of holy water or a ring of fire in a house. She chuckled to herself in approval of their ingenuity but that was probably just the insanity she was trying to fight off.

"Make sure she can't break out." Xander was soon there, Tara silently slipping up to his side, as they watched their every move from the kitchen, keeping a fair distance away. His eyes darted around her circle but they never looked directly at her and she could not tell what he was thinking past the wall he projected. He added coldly, "She did last time."

When all the restraints were securely tied, Buffy looked up at all those frowning faces circling her and waited. They all stared at her as if she were under a microscope, a lab monkey waiting to for dissection. She found herself annoyed that they seemed so shocked. Hello? This was their idea! They knew what would happen. Did they hit their head? Should she hit them again? Her thoughts conflicted, jumping from violent to shameful as she pushed the voices away. She needed to be calm and helpful. She needed them to be on her side. If she was going to fix what she did, she needed their help.

"How did you manage to find us?" Wesley was first to speak through the growing tension with all the politeness only a Brit could possess. "We expected to have to find you."

"Spike taught-" Even the name rolling over her lips made the pain too unbearable. "I was taught how to track using smell. I used Xander's."

"Guess that'd be easy with you smelling my fresh blood every day."

"Xander-" Wesley warned him to calm with a look and turned back to the vamp in the chair. "Do you know what happened to you?"

Buffy nodded, and tried to give a vocal answer. It was hard to make herself focus beyond the crushing sensation in her mind but she managed to speak in a soft tone and found it easier to continue once she started. "It was you guys right? You put Angel's soul in me."

"You can tell it's Angel's?" Gunn asked incredulously.

Wesley nodded and spoke aloud, "I was curious about that."

Buffy continued to nod and rocked in her chains, feeling the healing scratches she caused on her arms open again against the wood of the chair under her. The pain helped her focus beyond the pressure and she could answer, "I can feel him. It's like he's here and I can feel what he would feel. It comes on stronger when I focus on it. I haven't really been trying to tell the truth. If I do, well-" Buffy tried to find that part inside her again, to push past the dead and see the vampire with a soul, and found her gaze dancing around until she looked to Xander. She suddenly felt a mental attack as she was overcome by unordinary amounts of annoyance. "Whoa. He does not like Xander."

"Mutual." Xander growled, unmoving as he kept his arms crossed and his weapon in hand, glaring at her feet.

Buffy looked around the room again and her eyes flickered between Wesley and Gunn. "There's a bond I feel with you two, though I personally don't know Gunn as well. Angel trusts you not to kill me. Unless you have to. Faith I…huh."

"Huh?" Faith could not resist questioning when Buffy trailed off, pushing up from the stool and walking closer.

"I don't want to beat you up. That's strange. Considering." Buffy tilted her head as she tried to sort through the friendly feelings she had, her eyes lingering on the sling the Slayer held her arm in. "I also want to know if your arm is okay. Which is also strange. Considering."

"Considering you're the evil spawn that tried to kill her and us and-"

"Xander, ple-"

"No!" He cut off her plea, losing his control and stomping up to the cross circle, finally locking eyes with her in a glare that sent pure loathing towards her and her borrowed soul. "I don't want to hear it from you Buffy. I don't want to hear anything from you!" He turned his attack on Angel Inc, "I don't care if you popped some soul inside her. She did all of this to us! You weren't there! You don't know!"

"Xander," Wesley tried to pacify him with a raise of the hand in surrender, "I understand-"

"You can't understand!"

"I think you'll come to know I understand better than you think." Wesley's voice dropped to a deadly level and Faith quietly slinked away and back to the kitchen without anyone else noticing.

Wesley nodded his head with finality and added, "We'll discuss this later. Gunn can you take them upstairs?"

"You're just going to shove us aside?!" Xander started to scream again as Gunn shrugged and started to herd them away. "I won't kill her if that's what you're so worried about. But she needs to know what she did! She needs to know why she-"

"She knows what she did! She remembers." Wesley growled and lost his temper as he yelled, "So help me, I am trying to save the world. The least you could do is grow up a bit and shut up! Gunn, take them all."

"I want to see her." Tara muttered gently, her eyes never leaving the blood slowly dripping from Buffy's wrists and onto the wood of the floor below.

"Later," Gunn said, breathing deep as he took the command from the man who was _not his boss_ but was honestly the closest thing at the moment, considering his real boss was half inside that Slayer-vamp and half inside crazed-psycho Angelus vamp.

"Fine!" Xander screamed. "Let's go Tara."

"Faith," Wesley turned to her with determination, "you too."

"I'm not going anywhere." She scoffed and leaned back against a wall as if to make her point. "I want to keep an eye on her."

"She's not going anywhere."

"You don't know that. Xander said she got out before. She could do it again. She could attack you."

"I'm honored you feel the need to protect me but there is no need."

"As the Slayer, I say I stay. And you ain't my watcher last I checked so…"

"Stay then. Just be quiet." He sighed deeply and turned back to Buffy. "Can you distinguish your feelings from his?"

With the attention suddenly directed at her she found the words hard to conjure again but nodded and tried to explain, "I can only really-"

"Eat, kill, murder?" Faith sarcastically asked with a smirk.

Buffy did not answer but it was true. She was a vampire. However, she also felt pieces of her old self. There was a wall keeping it locked away. If she broke past that wall and faced how she was truly feeling, it would come crumbling down and she would break.

"I'm not quite sure that would be a good idea anyway." Wesley said, stopping Faith from speaking again. "We chose Angel's soul for a reason. This is not its home but you must try to keep it. Too much imbalance and something might happen to it. I fear your demon could push it out."

"Why did you choose his soul?" Buffy asked as he pulled up a chair and moved in front of her, getting a closer look while staying outside the holy boundary.

She felt her focus lost in a moment where he cleaned a smudge from his glasses and she was suddenly brought back to Giles doing the same, always cleaning his glasses. He should have stayed in London. That's where he was supposed to be.

She shook her head and the guilt from her temporarily in order to ask, "What's wrong with mine?"

"Nothing," he tried to reassure her. "But the soul is a powerful thing. Angel was nearly ruined when it was placed in him for the first time. With you being a Slayer and your soul definitively in heaven…we couldn't be sure that much pure power wouldn't overload you. Angel's soul had already lived through this experience. We hoped that it would make it easier. There was also the fact that we had Angel's soul in our hands."

"Florica gave it to you." Buffy said it as a statement and Wesley nodded without need to answer.

"Too bad she couldn't cough up everyone else's." Faith said with a bit of a laugh as she started to pace around Buffy's chair, slipping in and out of her vision. Even out of sight she knew exactly where she was. Her skin prickled in the direction the Slayer paced and her senses honed in on her every move. Though her soul was telling her Faith was not going to harm her, her instincts were telling her the exact opposite.

"Why can't we just put a soul back into everyone?" Gunn said as he returned, only half joking.

"That would be the easy answer wouldn't it?" Wesley smiled over his shoulder at him. "I'm afraid that was my only orb and others are hard to find. It is not an easy spell to do, let alone do it so many times in a row. On top of that, I believe Willow would have a hand. She would protect herself and I'm sure she would be able to do that for others."

"What makes you think she won't take out my soul?" Buffy asked the group and whispered with the smallest combination of fear and hope, "Will she?"

"We don't think she will." Wesley explained, "Your relationship with Willow…you captured her and forced her to lose her soul. You kept her from her loved one. You had her kill Tara. She would want you to suffer. You are now an enemy in black and white terms. And while we do not know her full intentions, and you have only been gone a short while, the régime needed someone."

"You talk like I was royalty." Buffy scoffed, flipping her head around as she heard Faith do the same behind her.

"Queen Buffy," Faith sneered and continued her circles. "Sounds about right."

"Someone needed to take your place," Wesley brought her attention back. "The void needed to be filled by someone just as powerful as you. From what our sources have told us, Angelus and Willow have filled that void. Willow holds her magic over the rest and Angelus controls the vampires. We don't know about the others. Drusilla followed us here but we left her in the desert. But she is strong. She could have survived."

"Yeah right," Gunn shook his head. "Not after the way we left her."

"We?" Faith turned to him with her hands thrown on her hips. Well, one was on her hip, the other was straining in its sling. "I remember _you_ hiding in your car while the rest of us were dealing."

"Hey, I'm not the one that got my arm broke."

"Hairline fracture!"

"Same difference."

"I could still fight you with my good arm tied behind my back."

"Alright, girly. Why don't you-"

"Why don't you both shut up?!" Wesley snapped and brought them both from their stare-off. They growled and separated as Wesley continued to explain, "Dawn was last seen with Willow and Angelus. Spike is missing. We were wondering if you knew of his whereabouts?"

Buffy's eyes grew big as she flashed back to the night before but she shook her head in a lie. They couldn't know where he was. They would hunt him down. She couldn't let that happen. He had to stay safe.

"You're lying." Faith said, directing her glare at her and stamping to the edge of her circle.

"Faith-" Wesley started but she cut him off again.

"I told you! I told you we can't trust her!" She spun back to Buffy, stomped past the crosses, and held her stake up to her chest. "You saw him. Spill."

Buffy swallowed as she eyed the wooden point brushing up against her exposed flesh. The memory of a stake breaking through her chest mere inches away was still fresh and though she felt conflicting screams in the back of her mind egging her on to let it happen, she felt a harder push to survive so she could find her redemption. The will to survive was too strong and justified considering what happened the last time she died.

"Back down." Wesley sounded authoritative and serious as he stood behind the Slayer. Her eyes flickered but she did not remove the weapon. Just as Wesley was about to give the second command, Buffy nodded her head.

Wesley took a step forward and put a hand on Faith's bad shoulder, pulling her back by the strap on her sling. She yelled at the sudden pain and turned to lash out at him but Gunn was at his side in a moment, pushing her away as Wesley gently and patiently asked Buffy to, "Go on."

Buffy found words hard yet again as her eyes flickered to the ground. She wouldn't tell them where he was but she could not keep the tears from rolling down and the confession from leaving her lips, "Wes, I….I tried. Pain. There was so much pain. Spike showed up. I was in so much pain. I deserve to be." Her voice broke and rose as she went on, cracking as her emotions started to break through the wall. "Look at what I did. I killed so many people. Including my sister. Dawn, I… I…I wanted it out. I tried…tried…"

"You boned him?!" Faith's outburst shocked her back into anger. Her demon broke quickly through the cracks in a loss of control and her chains strained against her as she snapped to attack.

"I wanted to die! He talked me out of it!"

"And into bed?!"

"No! I talked him! I just wanted it out!"

"How are we supposed to trust her?" Faith shouted at Wesley. "She tried to get her soul out! Are you hearing this?!"

"It didn't work," Wesley calmly stated.

"Yeah but what if it works next time?"

"There won't be a next time." Wesley turned from Faith and brought his eyes down to Buffy threateningly glaring as he quietly demanded, "Will there Buffy?"

"So we're just gonna trust her?"

"Look at her, Faith." Wesley pointed to the smear of black and red covering her face, the scratches bleeding out over the chains, the cuts and burns from the desert sand on her bare feet, and the other marks she caused herself from trying to rip the weight away. "Look at what she's done to herself."

"So?"

"So, that's Angel in there. Would you cast him out? If we do not help her, she will try again, and there will be nothing we can do to get him back. Do you really want to do that? To lose him forever?" He waited for her to answer his question as she uncomfortably shifted in the silence, believing it rhetorical. "You say you care for him, show it. Because you, I don't care for. If you threaten her, you threaten Angel. Do that again and I will not hesitate to take you out."

"Me either," Gunn added on, stepping next to Wesley and creating a small wall in front of Buffy's body.

"Your revenge will not be taken by attacking her. This is not a game and her being a vampire is not an excuse. Now go with the others." Wesley pointed up the stairs and motioned to Gunn again. "I have more questions and I don't need your outbursts."

"But-"

"Now."

Faith glared at him but stomped away as Gunn clomped after her mouthing _you owe me_ to his partner, muttering about being a babysitter under his breath on the way up.

Wesley took his seat back in the chair opposite her and his gaze went back to that of a watcher, discovering how best to proceed in the situation he was dealt. "What was your plan Buffy? The others told me what they know and I put together the pieces but you must know more."

Buffy shook her head and breathed deep for the sake of control. It seemed so surreal. She whispered the answer but it was as if someone else had made those plans, someone she did not know to be herself. "World domination. Taking what ruled me and rule it instead. I guess I was treating myself like royalty. It made sense. At the time."

"You opened the hellmouths for chaos, took out the Beastraki to control the chaos, and built a small army. At the same time you created a very powerful and dangerous witch with no soul who also hates you. What was your plan there? What hold did you have over her?"

Buffy shook her head as she answered, "She was warming up to me. But…Keeping Tara safe was part of it. When we actually started our descent on the other hellmouths to close them up and control the chaos, I was going to use other witches. They're more common than people realize."

"I see."

"The only people I told were Spike and Angelus. Between the two, they had a lot of contacts. I was going to turn the witches in return for protection…give them more power. Leave them in every city along with some of our vamps. Willow is only human. She will drain herself out. I could smell it on her already. The witches would be a way of keeping her in check until she did."

"You were going to drain her? You were going to let her die?"

Just the tiniest hint of a mocking laugh escaped her lips as she said out loud, "I didn't have a soul."

"Even without a soul, you must have seen her potential as a weapon?"

"That's what the other witches would be fore. Besides, it would take a while for her to die."

"Not as long as you may think. Most who handle dark magic become a demon themselves, at least partially. Without that demon in them, their bodies are used up. Without a demon in her, she has no hope. Willow is smart. She will figure this out soon and with no soul she will take that option. Especially since she is currently placed within the center of a vampire nest."

"I wasn't going to let her change."

"Well you don't have a choice now. Your plan was large and it was spontaneous and problematic. It cost many people their lives. It will cost many more."

Buffy hung her head and nodded as the voices she pushed away started to creep back around, Willow –the redhead she met on her very first day in Sunnydale- calling out to her above the rest. "I know. I have to dig myself out. I don't think I ever will. I have to try." She did manage a small laugh as she added, "Suddenly I find myself relating to Angel a lot more."

"You have to be as good as him Buffy." Wesley brought her out of trance and continued in his speech, "I know it's not your fault what happened to you but you are responsible. You have to be the champion he was and better. Don't let Giles, Anya, Dawn, Cordelia, or anyone else die in vain."

Buffy looked around the room as the names hit her ears wrong. Giles was cleaning his classes, the squeak of the lenses right next to her head. Anya was muttering sarcastically towards the stairs Xander had walked up. Dawn was sitting cross-legged and playing with her hair. There was no Cordelia to be seen. "Cordy? Cordy's dead? She was alive when we left last night."

Wesley gasped and she could hear his heart leap as he leaned in and excitedly prompted her to continue by asking, "What do you mean?"

"Angelus has her locked in another part of the mansion, under his room so he can keep a closer eye on her."

"But Angel said-"

"Angel was Angelus. He hasn't been Angel since he left you."

"So over the phone…how could I be so stupid? Gunn! Gunn get in here!"

Gunn came jogging down the stairs at the call and sarcastically asked, "Yeah boss?"

"Cordy's not dead." Wesley's excitement grew and he gripped Gunn by his arms and shook him.

"She's-"

"She's not dead!"

"Probably." Buffy quickly added. "Her visions have been killing her. Like you said about Willow, it's a lot of power. Angelus nearly killed her the last time she had one."

"Cordy's alive?!" Xander was right behind them, glancing quickly at Buffy with a hateful glare before ignoring her and joining the others in a smile. "We have to get her back."

"It's not that simple," Wesley started, calculating in his head.

"What do you mean not that simple? She's alive, we rescue her. It's what we're all about. They could be torturing her right now!"

"I know that, but what can we do? We have no plan, no weapons, everyone here is injured, what are our chances?"

"Well I'm not going to sit back and let her die. I already lost Anya. I'm not losing her too. I'll go up by myself if I have to."

"You won't have to. I'll come with," Faith said, jogging into the room and glaring at their tied up vampire. "Forget my arm. Let's do something that makes sense."

"I'll come too." Buffy said in the pause and everyone snapped to her. "I know where she is, I know where Angelus hides the key. I can get her out."

"This is a very bad idea," Wesley said with a shake of his head and looked to Gunn for support.

Gunn shook his head and muttered, "It's Cordy. We gotta."

Wesley sighed and looked around but knew he was outnumbered and nodded his head.

"Sweet!" Faith said with a jump.

"But we need a plan," Wesley said, matter-of-factly. "Tomorrow we'll make one. Until then, everyone get some rest. Buffy, you try to rest as well. We'll talk more tomorrow. There's a spot for you in the basement."

Buffy was unchained and led by Faith up the stairs to pick out some clothes from their latest store raid. She flipped through a few shirts and pants before picking out the softest ones they had, a baggy pair of jeans and a cotton tee, hanging loosely over her body. She spotted a bit of ribbon in the pile and used it to tie her hair back, keeping those loose pieces from falling in her face and reminding her why they brushed her chin instead of her back.

Faith was about to lead her to the bathroom to wash off the blood off her arms and face when Tara stepped in the way.

"Can I have a moment?" Tara asked Faith who started to argue but the look on Tara's face made her roll her eyes and mumble about being in the hall.

Tara closed the door and walked up to Buffy, her face broken and cold, much harsher than the soft-spoken girl she knew before. Buffy watched silently as the witch's eyes darted over her new appearance, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Buffy…I'm not sure I know what to say to you…I'm sorry." Buffy jumped at the gentle words and snapped her attention from the floor to the timid girl, taking in the tired lines curling under her eyes and the frown pulling her mouth down. "I'm sorry we brought you back. I'm sorry for all it cost and for the pain you feel now. I'm sorry that it ultimately t-t-took the love of my life away from m-me." Tara cleared her throat when her voice cracked at the stutter, flinching as she did for she expected more of Buffy yelling at her to speak straight before hitting her every time she tripped over a word. She pushed on when the hit did not come and whispered with her head raised high. "So, if there's one thing I ask of you, as a way to redeem yourself to me, can you please try to save her? Please, help her. You did this. You can fix it. You two are connected. You have been since she sired you. I can feel it. There has to be a way."

"I don't know." Buffy could feel the tears streaming over her cheeks as the Willow in her mind reached out to pet Tara's hair, a motion the other girl did not feel. "I'm not a witch. I don't know how."

"We will find one that can help then. We will find a way." Her voice took on a darker tone as she added, "Whatever it costs. Because you've cost me. You've killed me, dragged me back, and stuck me in a box. You may think that makes us even-"

"No, I-"

"You can figure this out. You can help me by fixing her. Help her. I can't see her destroy herself. I can't bear it."

"I will. Tara, I will." Buffy nodded and almost reached out to pat her arm but thought better of the move and twisted her hand around her own instead. "I'll fix her. Whatever I can do to help her, I will."

Buffy walked out into the hall where Faith smugly had her arms crossed, leaning back against the door tauntingly asking, "Even if it means killing her?"

"What?"

"You're going to help Willow but what if you can't?" Faith shrugged and directed her to the bathroom as she casually added, "Powerful witch without a soul and a vampire army? She's not going to play tea-party. She'll destroy the world. You'll have to kill her. Your best friend."

"I know."

"And while we're talking about killing besties, you know I'll kill you too." Faith suddenly tossed her into the wall with her good arm and pinned her across the chest. Buffy felt the instinct to push back but fought it down and waited for Faith to finish her threat, "One hair out of line and I won't care about Angel's soul, see? Cus his soul will be fine and you will be dead. That's how that works. Wesley and them, they can only protect you for so long. Then you'll be all mine. Just you, me, and my little pointy guy here."

"I may want you to," Buffy admitted quietly, watching the stake dip into the skin of her arm. "At the end of this."

Faith eyed her curiously at the unusual response but released her and nodded, "Good. So we're on the same page. Well...till then, I guess we'll be riding the redemption train together." She slapped her shoulder and pushed her into the bathroom adding, "Get washed up and I'll lock you in."

"Lock?"

"You didn't think we'd just let you sneak around did you? Go sleepwalking when you get a little thirsty? Nuh-uh. I don't need no zombie vamp sneaking into my bedroom for a late night chomp."

Washing the mess from her body was not as therapeutic as she believed it would be. The blood just washed from her hands and stained another surface, the white of the towel she was given covered in an unnerving pink. She cleaned her face as best she could and turned to wash her hands again when she stared in the mirror. She held no reflection, part of her curse, and in that void she saw those people again. The fear of those she and Angelus had killed was plastered on their faces as they called out to her behind the glassy surface.

_It's all your fault._

_You killed me._

_Please don't-_

_Please!_

_Stop!_

_You did this!_

_I have children!_

_Don't!_

_Please don't kill me!_

_Buffy!_

_Buffy, please!_

She screamed and pounded her fist into the reflections with all her might. When she snapped it back, the mirror had splintered into a web of fractal pieces but her hand now had more blood –her own. Her hand shook as she stared at it and started to feel a chuckle spin up from her center, coming out of her in one short, crazed burst. It looked like she had just broken out of her coffin.

"Everything alright in here, B?" Faith asked, spinning her stake suggestively as she took in the broken mirror.

"Five by five," Buffy laughed quickly before letting herself be led to her bed.

Buffy found the stale basement confusing and dark as she was shoved down onto a bed with dirty sheets to keep her company. The smell of the combination of sand and must made her think of Spike alone in that cabin. She leaned into the covers, curled them around her, and spun into a tight cocoon, allowing the smell to surround her. She stared up at the ceiling as the voices of the dead chanted at her, keeping her awake, until her mind could take no more.


	33. According to Plan

Dawn sat in Buffy's room and watched from her bed as the rain started to fall against the window. It was mid-day but the clouds were thick enough so she could keep the curtains open. As if it mattered. As if anything mattered.

After spending the night and day with plenty of fights between Angelus and Willow, accompanied by lots of demon dog barking and fledgling vamp complaining, she thought she would love to be back at the mansion where she could crash behind the peace and quiet of a door. Maybe she would drink a couple of beers and then see if Buffy wanted to go out hunting.

The town they found Angelus in didn't have much in it besides questions -questions over Angelus and the soul's disappearance. When she came crashing through those front doors, dog hair and sand sticking to every inch of her –inches sand should never stick-, she expected Buffy to have those answers. Instead, Spike was there on the couch with his head buried under his arm and an empty bottle of scotch on the floor.

Through drunken slurs he told them what had happened. Dawn did not stick around to hear the delight in Angelus' voice or the arguments that started up again between him and Willow. She simply went outside and tore a tree to the ground, ripping it apart layer by layer until it was a pile of chips with upturned roots. It was a stupid tree anyway.

Spike yelled at her for being so careless with something so deadly –he drunkenly insisted that the forest itself was the equivalent of a nuke because of all the wood- but she didn't care. She screamed at him about how it wasn't fair, how he should have stopped it, how he should have gotten her sister's soul out, and went to Buffy's room before Spike could say anything.

Why was it always this way? Why did it always feel like she and Buffy were on opposite sides? At home it was just between the affection of their mother or boys or clothes or the remote. But this made it too real. They were literally on opposite sides again. And Buffy was on the much less fun side.

Everything had been going so well too. She finally had power, people were listening to her, she had vamps under her command, and now this? What was going to happen now that Buffy was gone? Could they get the soul out? What would Buffy do in the meantime? Would she attack them? Would Buffy kill her?

Maybe she should be happy that her bossy sister was out of the picture but she wasn't. The plan was to stick together and rule the world. Dawn could have some fun but she didn't want to rule the world alone. Maybe she would branch off from the rest and take her vamping somewhere else. It could be fun to get away. She didn't need anyone, she knew that, but would it be worth it? Could she really survive on her own? Would they come after her?

These questions multiplied as she stared out that window. That's where she spent most of her time, all alone, as the others argued with each other.

Willow was juggling power, Angelus was elated, Dru was missing, Spike was drunk, and Buffy was gone.

"And I don't know what to do. Not that anyone cares."

* * *

Willow had her head leaning against the cold porcelain of the toilet as she felt another surge of nausea pass over her. She sputtered and coughed as it gushed out of her stomach and splashed into the bowl. It was mostly blood now, a pale red mixing in with the contents of her breakfast. With a groan she pulled away from the mess and turned to the ceiling to calm her dizzy head. Closing her eyes she tightened her fist and willed herself to take back control. Her skin pulled and cracked as she swept her hands over the veins webbing out from her temples and then everything started to calm back into a natural, non-vomit inducing state.

Tara's voice was in the back of her mind, whispering to her about the mistake she was making. _It's just a cycle. Magic will not fix magic._ Willow first rolled her eyes at the imaginary worry but it was quickly followed by a wave of anger crashing over her. Not only did Tara not understand what she was going through but she wasn't even there. Willow let someone else watch over her, now she was lost, gone from her grasp, and she needed to be strong to get her back. She muttered to the ceiling as she performed the spell again and healed her aching stomach, prepping herself for the night to come.

Angelus was waiting for her outside the door with a smug smile on his face and a hungry look in his eyes. "You don't look so good, Red."

"Shut up Angelus."

"Or what? You'll turn me into a toad? From the oh-so-ugly looks of you, I'd say you want to keep your prince poofing powers to a minimum."

"What do you want?"

"Your dogs are making a mess outside," Angelus stepped in line with her as she made her way to her room. "They keep herding demons on the front yard. I'm not a babysitting service, make them dump the sheep somewhere else."

Willow laughed and twisted in her spot, placing a hand over Angelus' chest and relishing in the way he glared at her arm. "What makes you think you can boss me around?"

He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her to the wall, pressing her arm and pining her down. "Because I'm the one in charge here," he growled near her neck.

"Really?" With a flick of her 'trapped' hand she sent him flying across the hall and pinned him to the opposite wall, not even needing to move her fingers as he struggled to get free. He was like a gargantuan ragdoll. Maybe she would make him dance. That would be amusing.

"You gotta stop doing that."

"What are you going to do?" She laughed again and pushed him up so his feet dangled off the ground and his head hit the ceiling. She even bobbed him just a bit so that big forehead tapped stone a few times more. "Bite me?"

"I'll do so much worse."

"How? I could kill you with the blink of an eye. Your demon is nothing compared to my power. I could rip it out though your mouth and watch your body crumple into ashes and there would be nothing you could do. Buffy's not here to stop me."

"She's not here to stop me from killing you either."

"You and what army? Spike's too depressed over losing his precious girlfriend. Dru is missing. Darla is dead. And Dawn is just pathetic. So are the rest of the newbies. One whistle and the Beastraki will eat them all up."

"Only if you have the power to control them. Hate to see someone take that power away." Willow jumped and her hand automatically flung to her pocket, losing her hold on Angelus and sending him falling to the ground. With the reflexes of a centuries old cat, he landed on his feet and jumped up with all the energy he usually carried, flashing a smile in front of her face as he watched her hand circle the stone in her pocket. "I was right. It's that stone isn't it? It'd be terrible to have that go missing on you. Those doggies probably hate their masters."

"I'd like to see you try and get it."

"There won't be any trying. You'll be dead before you know it. By me, by our undead-dead-resouled-Slayer, or by yourself. I don't really care. But your precious Tara comes next. With blood that sweet…oh I'll have to savor her." Angelus smirked at the smell of blood rushing under Willow's skin, the anger at threatening Tara making her lethal again. "That's it," Angelus continued. "Don't you just want to do a spell? A big nasty spell with plenty of baddies running around? Save your precious Tara from the scary vampires?"

"I will get Tara back," Willow snapped and stomped away but Angelus was quick to follow.

"You gotta get through the Slayers first."

"Easy."

"Not if you magic yourself out."

"Oh do you care now? Did some of Angel leak out of Buffy and slip into you?"

"Look, I don't give a flying fuck about you or your girl. I want Buffy and Faith dead. Both of them. No resurrections. No comas. No zombies. Dead. The rest of it? I don't care. Just their bleeding hearts bleeding out over my tongue."

"You do realize that one Slayer dead means another one will rise?"

"I've been around a lot longer than you, cupcake. I know how it works. I just want those two gone. Thought you might too."

"Faith and Buffy gone," Willow nodded her head as she imagined what their loss would bring. Faith pissed her off long ago and while she didn't really care about petty revenge murder, it did sound rather nice for payback. Faith was the one who took Tara away after all. Buffy?…well Buffy deserved to die for a lot of things. "You have a point. Are you suggesting we work together? Is that what all this hand holding is for?"

"Oh sweetheart, I don't hold hands. If there's another way you want to seal the deal I suppose we can see which way you swing without that soul of yours. I remember when you wanted it that way. Wanted some guy to split you open. Hell, I even remember when you were jealous of Buffy, wanting it to be me. How's about-"

"How's about you step away from me before I change my mind."

"Might as well before you die."

Willow gave him a pleasant smile, as pleasant as she could with pale skin and black eyes distorting it, before taking a step towards him and throwing her fist at his face. She would save her magic for the slayers. Plus, it was kind of rewarding to feel his head snap behind her fist.

Angelus chuckled and yelled to her as she stomped away, "Alright! A little rough play after being with vanilla so long? We can put the chains in the basement to good use! Speaking of…"

Willow and Angelus were still prone to fighting about anything as Dawn hid in Buffy's room and Spike just lazed in the corner, ignoring them both.

"Would you stop crying about your damn girlfriend?" Angelus yelled at Spike as he poured his tequila. "You're acting like a teenage prom fuck'n'dump. She's not coming back."

"Fuck'n'dump," Spike drawled over the sting of his next shot. "Spot on."

"Well not fuck or she'd be…Oh my god. You mean you- you already did?!" Angelus started to jump up and down in excitement as Spike blankly stared at the corner of the room. "What's the matter Spikey? Couldn't rise to the occasion?"

"Shut up. All came and went, no change." Spike stopped Angelus' next gleeful shout when he reminded him, "Happened to you."

"That was Darla's fault," Angelus snapped, ready to scream at the girl herself before remembering she wasn't there. For a moment he almost felt the sting of her loss but then he remembered her whining about her feet and he didn't really feel all that bad. "Better watch you don't get pregnant Spike."

"Oh god what if she…." Spike left the room and locked himself in his bedroom until Dru came back.

Dru would not explain where she had been or why it took her so long to return. The only thing she said was that she found the others and then it all went to gibberish.

The sight of her was disturbing. She had patches of burnt skin covering her body and sand clung everywhere. Her eyes were crazed and her hair was a mess. More than anything she seemed enraged, like a wild animal. She would not let anyone sit in the chair Darla took a liking to and would kneel at the bottom and mumble things to the empty space.

When she spotted Spike, she ran to his side and slid her hands over him, trying to get comfort as she whined about the pain. He brushed her off for a bit but eventually lost interest and let her hang on him as he finished another bottle of beer.

Angelus and Willow talked more about their plan to kill the Slayers but kept it from everyone else. They agreed they didn't need the pathetic bunch to follow and would take care of things themselves but they needed a direction to go in. For that they needed more information or a move from the other side. Angel Inc. had covered their tracks and they didn't get very much in the desert so all they could do was wait. In the meantime they decided to stick to the plan so they would not set the others off. They kept their vampire army stocked, controlled the city, and prepared to move to the next location in the hope that Buffy would tell them her plan and they would be waiting.

After Dru's return they thought she would give them that direction but they were not getting anything out of her.

"Where are they?" Willow asked for the hundredth time in a row.

"Too loud! Stop shouting!" Dru had her hands covering her ears as she rolled around on the floor, seeming to be in pain. "Too loud!"

"Stop yelling at her!" Spike yelled, not thinking this would be hypocritical of him at all.

"I'm not yelling!" Willow screamed back, not caring. "This is pointless! She is loonier than Looney Tunes!"

"What's up doc?" Angelus laughed at his impression of Bugs Bunny.

They gave up on her pretty quick but the others easily put the pieces together and figured out Angelus and Willow's plan. Spike and Dawn argued for Buffy's sake. They refused to harm her in any way.

"We're just getting Red's babe back. That's all."

"Bullshit Angelus!" Spike slurred and swayed in his fighting stance in the middle of the room, standing for the first time in days. "I know you. You want her dead. You're hiding something. You and the-the- the black fairy."

"Black fairy?" Willow looked around but no one wanted to comment.

"Doesn't even make sense," Spike drawled on. "Think you'd want her alive with your soul in her. Keep it out of you."

They continued to argue as Dawn continued to stare out the window and listen. The world was chaos and everything was a mess. No one would have paradise ever again. Everything would die.

It was another night of bickering and arguments when they heard about their human captives in the lower town escaping the city.

"What do you mean they're gone?!" Angelus screamed at one of the scared fledglings who he had backed against the wall, sputtering and shaking in fear as he delivered the message.

"They're g-gone- there was talk of a Slayer-"

"Which one?"

"I don't- I don't know! "

"You are useless! You know what I do with things that are useless? I scrape off every bit of pointless garbage and throw them out. Is that what I should do to you? Drag you across the pavement until you're nothing but scattered parts then set the race track on fire?"

"Well it looks like we don't have to find them after all," Willow interrupted his threat. "If they're here to rescue the humans then Tara's there too. I'm leaving."

"Me too," Spike nodded and clumsily jumped from his seat. No blood was swimming in his undead veins at this point, only a horrendous concoction of alcoholic beverage.

"Me too," Dawn jumped the same time Dru pulled herself from the ground, nodding her head and humming. Dru was the one humming -a lullaby that would not stop. She had been singing it for hours. Probably longer. It was just white noise at this point.

Angel rolled his eyes and muttered, "I better go before somebody let's dinner out!" The fledgling he turned to ran away before he could twist its neck around like he wanted to.

The group made their way towards town with Willow leading the way with one of her Beastraki by her side. "Come on, Petunia."

"You named the mutt after a bleeding flower?" Spike laughed at his own joke while he tried to kick a rock and missed completely.

"Would you like to argue with her name?" Just as Willow asked the dog turned one head down and growled in Spike's face, the breath funneling from its nose sending the rock spinning towards the edge of the road.

"Nice to meet you, Petunia."

When they arrived on the scene they expected to find a commotion with all the fledgling vamps on guard but there were no vamps to be found. They arrived at the building complex they allowed the humans to stay in, a rather large apartment building, but it was empty. The only saw piles of ash scattered in the destruction on the streets and saw no movement from inside.

"Is everyone just a giant idiot but me?!" Angelus screamed.

"Wouldn't be so quick to throw yourself out of that lot," Spike mumbled as he fumbled for a cigarette.

"Yeah wouldn't want to rush that decision," Faith called as she slipped out of the alley and stood in front of the complex. She smirked but her smile dropped when Dru started a low, mean growl –no words spoken but a menacing glare thrown in her direction. "Easy there sister." Faith held up her hands in surrender. "My arm just got back to fighting shape. And those needles were in my butt for a week!"

"You killed-"

"I'm bored of this," Willow interrupted Dru's threatening growl and swept to the front of the group, pacing in front of Faith and searching the building behind her. "Where's Tara?"

"We left the golden girl at home."

"Willow?" Tara scrambled out of the ally, completely ignoring the plan.

"Or at least she was supposed to stay behind the building!" Faith yelled at Tara when she reached her side and mumbled, "Way to go witch." When she turned back she found Dru still staring at her, humming an eerie tune as she swayed in her place. Faith ignored the rest and kept her eyes on her, motioning behind her back for Gunn to get ready already.

"Willow is that you?" Tara took a step with one hand stretched, reaching out for Willow's distorted face. It was even paler and more warped than the last time she laid eyes on her.

"Yeah baby," Willow smiled and leaned into Tara's palm, gaging her reaction as she took a step closer.

"You look terrible," Tara whispered, running a thumb over one of the visible veins.

"Hah, she got you," Spike scoffed.

"What's happened to you?" Tara shook her head as she ran her hand through Willow's hair, jumping when more strands than normal caught in her fingers, clumping and falling to the ground.

"Nothing I can't control," Willow snapped back at the disgust on Tara's face and pushed the hand from her cheek.

Tara did not try to follow but did not move. "You're draining yourself. Magic can't be used like this."

"And here we go again," Willow mumbled, allowing her stored anger to lash out. "Tara, if you just saw what I do. If you could see what I see. It can be done. Just come with me and we'll talk. Alright? I'm figuring it out."

"You're hurting innocent people."

"Oh please. No one is innocent. The most innocent out of us was Dawn and look what happened to her."

"Um-" Dawn suddenly felt under the microscope as she lowered the flask she stole from Spike from her lips. "What? At least he's not drinking it!"

"Now," Willow continued, reaching out with her hand and giving Tara her palm to hold. "Come with me before I have to get you."

"Fat chance on that," Gunn finally chimed in from the building, two stories up with his giant crossbow hanging out the window.

"There's idiot number three," Angelus greeted.

"Where's Buffy?" Spike asked, stealing back his flask from Dawn and stomping up to the other Slayer who was still focused on Dru.

"Yeah," Angelus joined in, "Where's the rest of the misfit toys? I bet Angel's just eating up that juicy mind."

"Can I assume I'm a toy?" Xander jumped out from behind a building across the street, armed with a stake. "Wow…that…ignore I called myself a toy."

"Oh no!" Angelus yelled in mock fear, circling around with his hands shaking in the air. "We're surrounded! Whatever will we do?!" He burst into a fit of laughs while jogging over the beastie behind Willow and slapping it on the side of its leg. "Sick 'em boy."

"It's a girl," Willow reminded the same time the dog growled. "And I give the commands. So unless you want _her_ to use you as a chew toy - _back off_."

Angelus smirked even as the black in her eyes webbed up her forehead and down her cheeks. "Your blood is going to taste so sweet when you're done killing yourself."

Willow raised her hand, ready to call the dog on the Slayer and her group –and probably Angelus while she was at it- but Tara screamed before she could make the command, "Willow! Don't do it!"

Willow spun to her with a look that she hoped conveyed pity, though she did not feel it. She knew Tara would be safe with her there so there was no reason for her fear. "You'll be safe Tara. I control the Beastraki. They won't hurt you. I promise." Tara screamed again but she ignored her and pointed to the others, touching the rock in her pocket with her magic and looking up, "Petunia, playtime."

"Gunn, now!" Faith screamed the same time the dog started to charge. It launched for Xander who lunged into the broken window of the shop behind him. Faith ran for the giant dog and Dru was quick to follow her move, jumping on top of her before she could reach the beastie. "Gunn!" Faith screamed again as she threw the vamp off of her and tried to attack the dog who was now clawing at the building with Xander inside, one head breaking through the broken window to try and chomp him while a paw scratched at the door.

"I'm not staying for this," Spike muttered and turned in the other direction, hoping to catch onto Buffy's sent. She wouldn't miss out on this. Not unless something happened to her…He needed to find her.

"Spike! Wait!"" Dawn caught him leaving and ran after him, leaving Angelus to laugh by Willow's side as the others fought.

Gunn had prepared a shot in his crossbow but he knew that was not what Faith was calling for. "I dropped it!"

"What do you mean you dropped it?!" Faith screamed from the ground as she kicked Dru off her again and sent the vamp straight at Angelus.

"Can I get some help in here?!" Xander could barely be heard over the dog's barking.

Dru caught herself before falling into Angelus and soon came running back at the Slayer. Faith managed to charge and send a stake into the dog's neck, distracting it for a moment by the spark of pain that probably compared to a splinter with its size, but then Dru tackled her again and the dog went back to tearing the building apart.

Gunn scrambled along the ground, fighting through the shambles left behind from the people they rescued. There was a mess everywhere and he couldn't find that goddamn- there it was. "Found it!"

"Blow it!" Faith screamed as she was tossed into the side of the bricks. She threw punches and sent Dru stumbling but the vampire was coming with a vengeance that would not stop. She kept attacking and attacking and Faith could hear Xander's screaming louder about being trapped but she couldn't get to him. This was not the plan!

Suddenly, from Gunn's window a high pitch shrill sounded. All on the ground stopped to cover their ears as the sound grew in strength and pitch.

"Too loud! Stop shouting!" Dru screamed from the ground. "Too loud!"

Petunia stopped clawing at the door and howled with all three heads at the sky as the sound reached her ears. She started to buckle, her hind legs dropping to the ground, as her entire body trembled and the shakes sent waves of dog hair flying everywhere.

Gunn pulled the whistle from his mouth and waited to see if it worked. The dog stood once again but it did not continue trying to dig Xander out of the building. It spun around and locked eyes with Willow, snarling and growling as its heads dropped to a hunting position, finding new prey.

Gunn cheered and held the whistle up for all to see as Xander climbed out of the window and ran to Faith's side who had kept Dru away with a few more punches while she was still distracted by the high pitch tone in her ear.

"Pluto's training whistle!" Gunn shouted. "Cost us an arm and a leg but- hey, I think it was worth it."

"Willow!" Tara screamed when the dog started to crawl towards her. Willow didn't look as she swept her hand back and sent Tara flying into the alley she came, away from the fighting and away from the dog that was nearing her. It did not follow. It only had eyes for Willow.

"Stop!" Willow shouted, holding out her hand. "I command you to stop!" She reached into her pocket and clenched her hand around the stone, commanding the dog again, "HEEL!"

The dog ignored all her commands, perked its tail, crouched on its legs, and lunged forward. Willow had nowhere to jump but up and used her magic to float into the air, the same level as the dog's head. She tried to give the dog one final command, "Petunia! Sit!", but it did nothing.

Willow curled all the magic inside of her and sent a cloud of black smoke spiraling around the beast. It coughed at it but crawled out and started to lunge for her. She rose higher and sent more magic its way, sending more smoke from her fingertips as the power flowed through her.

The dog started to waiver in the cloud hazing its sight but it continued to bark and howl and jump at her, nearly nipping her feet. She cried out as she circled the wave of smoke into a ball around the dog and sent another shock wave of magic down, catching the ball of smoke on fire. The dog howled and she growled back as she sent more magic to it, heating the ball of flames as she rose high above the rooftops.

"Watch it with that thing!" Angelus yelled, avoiding the swinging tail of the dog from catching him on fire.

Willow shouted, "It's not working", as she floated her body away from another attack, the dog fighting through the bubble and nearly grabbing her leg. She could feel her body draining from the magic, her stomach was flipping, he heard was pounding, and she felt a wet spot start to form under her nose. She shook her head and stopped the spell. The dog was still on fire but she was able to float above it, too high for the dog's jumps -though it tried and continued to crash into the pavement below.

"Alright, Willow think," she spoke out loud and looked around. "Fire doesn't work. Why? The Beastraki come from the underworld and duh the underworld is hot. Hellmouth means hell means fire. Okay so not fire. So…" She pushed her magic out again but this time sent a blast of cold onto the beast, shrouding its middle head in a mist of ice. The dog howled louder than it had before and fell backwards, stumbling away from her. She yelped in excitement as she broadened her attack and sent massive waves of cold ice at every head of the beast and then to its entire body, putting out the flames instantly.

It stumbled back again and again, barking as she came closer, until it had nowhere to go, trapped by a building at the end of their street. She pulled all of the magic she had in her weak body together and sent a large spike of cold power at its heart. It took that one blow and the beast howled once more before it fell to the ground, unable to attack again.

She smiled for a moment when the beast was killed, glad for her smarts, and riding the small high that the power brought. She conquered a beast that controlled all demons. There was nothing she could not face –nothing she could not defeat.

She would steal the whistle from Gunn before he could do what he did to any more of her dogs and then she would take Tara and they would get the hell out of there. That was the plan anyway, only she didn't float much more than one story down before everything started to get fuzzy. She raised a hand to her head and pulled away with a bloody palm. That was the same instant she fainted and fell to the rest of the way to the ground.

Tara ran to Willow as fast as she could and lifted her bleeding head from the ground. "Willow?!" Willow had a bloody nose and there was blood streaming out of one of the veins on her temple. With Willow's closed eyes Tara could not see the black and it just looked like Willow, bloody and broken. She held her close and rocked her back and forth as she tried to get her to wake up.

Gunn started to aim his crossbow at Dru, who was relentlessly chucking both Xander and Faith away, when Angelus' voice stopped him.

"God you are so annoying. I mean the sound of your voice on a normal day is just so irritating but this?" Gunn jumped as Angelus lifted the whistle in his hands. Gunn tapped his empty pocket in shock, sure he had just put it there.

"Awwww," Gunn mocked. "Did your sensitive little ears get hurt? I'll tell you what. Why don't we skip all this mumbo jumbo where you try to degrade me and I try to distract you and we just get to the punching. Sound good?"

Angelus opened his mouth to answer but Gun tilted back with the large crossbow still in hand and pointed it in Angelus' direction, shooting it without aim and missing completely. He picked up another long stake and ran in the vamp's direction while he was still distracted by the first one but Angel grabbed the weapon and threw him backwards, sending him straight for the wall with a thump. Gunn groaned when his injuries sparked by the reminder but jumped back into action, ducking as Angelus took another swing.

"Light on your feet," Angelus commented when Gunn evaded him again and reached for another stake by the window. "Must have run in the family. I bet that little sister of yours woulda made one hell of a ballerina."

"Don't you talk about my sister!" Gunn screamed and charged again, blocking one of Angelus' blows and landing a punch of his own in the vamp's gut. Angelus backed only one step away before grabbing that stake as well and chucking it towards the stairs. They threw more punches and kicks, knocking into the objects on the ground and tripping into the walls.

Gunn had stolen a blanket off the ground and managed to wrap it over Angelus' head in order to catch a break but Angelus easily ripped it away and saw him as he slowly made towards the only stake left within reach, lying by the crossbow. The rest were behind Angelus or had been flung down the stairs.

"Is that what you want boy?" Angelus called to him like a dog. "The stick? Get the stick boy. Go on! Fetch!"

Gunn wanted to yell back but it was the only weapon he had, so he dove for it. Angelus pinned him fast, clenching a hand over his throat and trapping him in front of the open window.

"Gunn, Gunn, Gunn!" Angelus shook his head and laughed. "I really thought you'd make it farther than this. I guess some people are just destined to lose."

"Yeah, you mean like you?" Gunn smiled as he pulled the whistle he stole during their shuffle to his mouth and blew. Angelus instantly backed away from the high pitch sound. Gunn smirked at the small victory but Angelus lashed out with a punch, hit Gunn directly in the chest, and sent him flying straight out the window.

Faith and Xander had their hands full fighting Drusilla. Xander was mostly only distracting as Dru would smash him into the nearest wall anytime he tried to attack. He lost his stake when that beast had him trapped inside that shop and his fists were near pointless. After spending so much time chained up he didn't have nearly the same amount of muscle he used to. And he really didn't have that much to begin with.

Faith was blocking, dipping, diving, and dogging like a pro but Dru would not let up. She was brutal force as she came with kick after punch after body check and no patience for taunts or witticisms. Faith was fighting hard but she knew she was losing when Dru's fangs came dangerously close to her neck. Dru had her pinned to the side of the dead Beastraki –which was pretty nasty because it was cold and hot at the same time and just wrong- and Xander coming in for a full football tackle was the only thing that saved her. She tried to grab her stake from the ground but Angelus was there to take Dru's place, a mischievous smile on his lips and his foot on the wood.

"Not quite the Slayer you used to be, are you Faithy?"

"Slayer enough to take you," Faith winked and flipped from the ground, kicking him in the gut and putting the extra strength that came from being a Slayer to good use. Angelus stumbled and Faith came running after him but he was able to block her punches easily. She was out of practice after all.

"Oh come on sweetheart. You don't wanna stake me. Not your dear Angel."

"I got Buffy for that now," Faith joked before leading in with a spin kick.

"And I bet you two are just best pals. So where is she anyway? Gonna swoop in at the last minute and save your ass? Just like always."

"The only ass that needs saving is yours," Faith shoved him against the wall and raised her fist for the attack, not looking to kill –just to hit his head. She landed a few quick punches, sending Angelus to the ground, but her arm was sharply pulled to the side before she could finish making him unconscious.

"Death for death before it comes," Dru's voice met her ear before the sharp pain of a set of fangs dipped into her neck. She screamed out and tried to hit back but Dru sucked her blood fast, gulping it swiftly and draining her in her already weakened state.

Faith could see death closing in, her stupid path to redemption killing her off. Dammit why did she have to be a good person? The lights were fading and the world was blurring but then she heard the scream behind her, the sound of it vibrating through her neck.

The hold around her fell and she jumped away, looking back to find Dru with a stake sticking out of her back. It was near to her heart but not near enough. She pulled it from her and turned to Gunn who had one arm hanging down as the other poised to block. She shoved him hard and he screamed as she pushed against his bad shoulder, fallen out of socket.

"Boys shouldn't play with dangerous toys," she chided and pushed harder on the weak spot until he cried.

Faith tried to save him but the lights were still blurring and she tripped over the pavement and fell on the ground. Gunn was just about to start praying for his life when Dru's head disappeared. Xander was behind her with the machete they had hidden behind the complex poised at the level of her neck. There was no time for last words as she shriveled away and flew into ashes.

The three humans all took a breath in relief at the fight being over before they turned at the sound of Angelus, "Wow cream puff. Didn't know you had it in you."

Xander turned to use the large knife on him but he was barely standing as it was, physically exhausted. Xander tried to near the vamp -who was still foggy from the Slayer beating his head- but Angelus only needed to kick him once and he was down for the count. He also managed to snag that machete from him in the same blow.

"Not fair," Xander mumbled.

"You got a little something on your neck there," Angelus laughed at Faith who was still on the ground, holding a hand over the holes he mentioned.

"Shut it Angelus. I'm fine. Five by-" She couldn't finish the rest of the sentence before she passed out completely.

"Oh you're just peachy."

"Back off!" Xander called from behind her, reaching into his pocket and slipping out his flask of holy water. It wasn't much but it was the only weapon he had. Gunn was the one with the stake but he had it in his left hand and the other was completely useless. They were screwed unless…yes.

"Oh you so scare me," Angelus laughed again as he stretched his body and hovered over them all, spinning his new weapon around.

"I should," Xander smiled and reached into his other pocket. "You'd think with your heightened senses and all you'd not be an idiot and realize what you're standing in." He gestured to the building they were in front of, the same building he had been hiding behind before the dog attack. The exact building they needed to be in front of.

Angelus cocked his head at the rambling but let himself take another look at his surroundings. It was the usual chaos and destruction, the same sounds, the same wrecks, but there was one thing, one smell–was that gasoline?

Angelus started to jump out but Xander had already lit the match and trapped him behind a wall of flames that quickly caught and circled around the entire building. It was not made of wood but with any luck he thought the fire would catch through a window. Angelus was trapped either way, stuck glaring from the doorway.

"Idiot, you warned him," Gunn yelled but sighed in relief when no one else could attack him or touch his shoulder. It hurt like a bitch. So did his head. So did his everything. Falling from two stories was not something he'd recommend.

"I was distracting!"

"Where'd the other ones go? Blondie and little sis?"

"I don't know but this isn't good. Faith's down, I'm sore, you can't fight." Xander nodded towards Tara, still holding Willow and rocking her back and forth, ignoring all that was happening around them. "Willow could wake up any second."

"Let's go then." Gunn gestured to Faith on the ground, "Can you pick her up? My arm's out of commission."

"Yeah." Xander nodded but he didn't feel all that confident. Still he picked the girl off the ground and made their way to Tara.

"We can't leave her." Tara said before either of them could speak, holding Willow closer as she continued to wipe the blood away.

"We have to," Xander said, groaning as he put Faith on the ground and placed a hand on Tara's shoulder. He didn't like the view of his former friend either but there was nothing they could do for her. They had discussed it already. "We don't have a way to put her soul back in her. Wesley said-"

"What about the spell?" Tara desperately interrupted, "The one Giles did on Spike?"

"More magic?" Gunn groaned under his breath as he looked at the destruction around him and glared at the Beastraki lying dead on the ground.

"He burned out his demon," Tara continued. "Temporarily, but if we finish it we could do it to her."

"She doesn't have a demon. She just has no soul."

"No. It's worse," Tara shook her head repeatedly, letting the tears stream over. "Even without a soul she couldn't be like this. She can't. Look at her. This is what demons are."

"Tara," Xander crept around her and forced her to look at him, lifting her chin so she would break away from Willow's face. "I'm sorry but I don't think it will work."

"We have to get Faith to a hospital," Gunn interrupted, shifting his weight as his arm pulled and his ribs ached. "I could use one too. I think my insides are bleeding."

"I'm not leaving her."

"You can't stay with her Tara." Xander nearly snapped, "You don't know what she'll do."

"She won't hurt me."

"She could take out your soul! She already tried and I am not dealing with another of my friends losing their soul. You hear me? I am done! I'm not losing you too." He roughly grabbed her by the arm and tugged urgently. "Now let's go."

"I'll come back for you baby." Tara gave one final pet of the hair and kiss on the forehead, ignoring the blood that stuck to her lips. "I'll find a way to fix this."

"Oh boo hoo. You all just make my heart bleed!" Angelus called from behind his wall of fire. "If only I had one."

"Keep laughing Angelus," Gunn snapped. "See where it gets you."

"What're you gonna do? You shoved my soul into that blonde bimbo. Thank you! She can deal with that pain in the ass pansy. Always screaming about doing the right thing, it's a headache"

"If it weren't for this wall of fire I'd finish you myself," Gunn threatened though he knew it sounded weak when he was nearly doubling over from the pain in his body.

"Killing the boss? I'll be sure to warn Wesley."

"He is not my boss."

"Sure he's not. Just like Xander isn't the one telling you what to do right now. Face it. You're just a tiny tin soldier begging to lead. But you never will. You actually need brains for that. Which remind me, Xander, what the hell are you doing ordering? Where's that woman of yours yanking your chain? Oh right, young and innocent little Dawn there chewed her up."

"Shut up Angelus," Tara snapped.

"Alright! She's got some backbone on her! For someone so soft too. I remember that skin sliding under the blade of my knife. Those scents wafting up were oh so delicious. Poor Willow cared back then. She had to watch. Looks like she won't be watching much anymore. Only a matter of time. I can smell her dying from the inside out. What to know what the smells like?"

Tara ignored him and pulled Willow up to the curb as she removed her sweatshirt and put it under her head. "He's just trying to get in our heads. Let's grab Faith and go." Xander lifted Faith off the ground as Tara whispered, "I promise. With all my heart. I'll find a way to help you."

"Let's go." Xander said, straining with Faith in his arms.

Angelus smiled from behind the glow of the flames but did not say anything more.

* * *

Buffy silently slid in and out of the trees as she made her way to the mansion, Wesley following directly behind her.

"How do you think the others are doing?" She whispered back to him.

"I'm sure they're fine." Wesley reassured her, tripping over a branch before jogging to catch up. He didn't travel in forests very often. Not even in his time as a rogue demon hunter. Rogue demon hunting was a city sport mostly. "They are completely capable of handling themselves."

"I just feel like I should be there."

"You are the only one that can help us get Cordelia. You need to be here. That was the plan. Distract and take. We can implement part two tomorrow."

"Implement?"

"It means we will carry out-"

"No I got it. You just sound like a …you sound like a Watcher I guess."

"Buffy-"

"No," Buffy sighed and shook her head, shaking the images in the corner of her mind away. Yup, there he was -leaning against the side of a tree, cleaning his glasses. Looking all Watchery. "I can't think about Giles right now. I need to focus on this. Help me focus on this."

Wesley chewed his cheek trying to think of something to help her through it and ended up asking, "How's your soul holding up?"

Buffy turned to face him, too quick for his body to respond and he tripped on more branches before catching himself on a tree, scraping his cheek on the bark. "Not what I need to focus on, Wes. Can't we talk about…I don't know…cupcakes? Or cars? Or football scores?"

"You want to talk about football?"

"Oh right. You're British. Um- how about-"

"How about that?"

"What?"

"That!" Wesley shoved her shoulder and pointed behind her.

The mansion was just coming into view but there were three faces blocking their path, all fledgling vampires.

"Get down," Buffy commanded in a whisper before jogging out of the brush and meeting the three vamps. "What're you doing here?"

"Buffy?" One of the fledglings squinted and tilted her head, unsure of what she was seeing. "Is that you?"

"What do you mean is that me? Of course it's me. Now answer my question. What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be keeping guard?"

"Angelus said you got your soul nicked," another fledgling said, sniffing the air.

"He lied. He's Angelus. He's an ass."

"I smell blood," the last fledgling added.

"I just had breakfast." Buffy snapped, shoving that one back by slamming her hand into his chest. Wesley tried to cover the blood dripping from his cheek but he logically knew it would not help. They were vampires. "Would you like to hear me explain my meals or would you like to stay alive?"

The fledglings nodded and muttered their apology, ready to turn back, just as they heard the sneeze.

"Wait," the one that smelled blood searched the dark. "Who was that?"

"Me." Buffy quickly said, shaking her head at herself . Wesley quietly slammed his head against the tree in frustration- trying to prevent another one from escaping him. "I learned to ventriloquist sneeze. Ventrilosneeze. It's good for distraction and…you're not buying it are you? Wesley!" She warned him as she switched her face and launched the attack.

The first fledgling was distracted by Wesley crawling out from behind his tree so she easily kicked him in the gut and sent him tripping over a branch. The second fledgling came at her but she punched that one in the face and sent it stumbling. The third managed to kick her once in the leg before she blocked and kicked it back.

Buffy pushed off her tree and used the rocks surrounding her to propel another attack as she kicked the girl fledgling straight in the head. The one she punched first was coming for her but she unfolded her arm and staked him to dust.

Wesley took the girl that had been kicked in the head and threw her into the tree next to him, flicked out his stake and took care of her. Buffy was circling with the final one, punching and kicking. This one was stronger than the others. She was sure he was only a few days older but even that made a difference.

She kicked him back into a tree with the heel of her sneaker and he spun around it, kicking her in the back. Wesley pulled him away but he punched him in the face and knocked his glasses off his head. Buffy flipped off the ground and cartwheeled into his side, shoving him to the forest floor as she brought the stake down for one final blow.

"Let's go," Wesley said after finding his frames and led the way to the tree line.

Buffy took a final look at the ashes surrounding her feet and sent a mental apology to their human owners before catching up.

Wesley was first to say, "We have a problem."

One of the Beastraki was walking around the perimeter, sniffing the air and occasionally stopping to scratch its head.

"I know a back way," Buffy led them around the building, keeping an eye out for more fledglings and more dogs. She really did hope the others were alright. There were three other dogs after all and they didn't know if the whistle Wes picked up would even work.

Through the entrance at the back of the mansion they snuck their way in and headed for the part that had belonged to her, Angelus, and Spike. They only ran into one fledgling on the way and Wesley hid as Buffy spurned them off.

"Yes I know. Angelus is a liar. Get over it! Get out of my sight!"

They snuck up the stairs and Buffy led the way to Angelus' bedroom. She tried the door but found it locked and without a second thought sent her foot slamming in the gap and broke it open. Wesley stood back to keep watch as she rummaged through Angelus' room to find Cordy's key.

His room was always a lot less creepy than she expected it to be. She had only been there a few times but it never changed. Everything was neatly put away, bed sheets tucked in, nothing out of place. There were no gore paintings or torture devices as to be expected. It just looked like a normal bedroom. Well, normal for a neat freak.

The tiny Angel in the back of her mind told her to mess it up as much as she could just to annoy him. She gave into that urge as she tore his room apart.

"I can't find it!" She shouted to Wesley as she pulled up his mattress and threw it against the wall. Wesley cleared his throat. "What?" Buffy turned to him and he pointed to the desk in the room, a small key dangling off a chain right overhead –in plain view. "Oh."

They grabbed the key and ran right back down the stairs, all the way to the basement, and turned to the door. Buffy did not hesitate to unlock it and go running into the room. It looked much more like what she expected from Angelus, the stench of old blood clinging on the walls and other horrid smells taking up the space.

Cordy was lying in a heap in the corner of the room, the only source of fresh blood, but it was faint.

"Cordy?" Buffy called quietly as she quickly sank to her side and lifted her head to see if she was still breathing.

"What?" Cordy blinked her eyes open slowly and frowned when she saw who was holding her. For some reason this truly hurt Buffy's feelings and it hurt even more when she shuffled away. "Oh it's you. While I love waking up to your hideous face, I could really use another-"

"Cordelia," Wesley called, crouching on the other side of her.

"Wesley?" Cordy gasped and blinked harder, as if trying to make the image disappear. "What're you doing here? What are you doing with her? Did she kidnap you? Is Gunn alright?"

"Yes it's me," Wesley stopped her by grabbing her hand and petting her shoulder. "We put a soul in Buffy. I'll explain everything. We're here to get you out."

"I'm not going anywhere with her."

"Yes you are," Buffy said but Wesley was the one to grab her around the waist and convince her to, "Come on."

Cordy struggled to walk and Buffy could see the gash running down her leg causing the problem. "She doesn't look so good."

"I'm right here you know," Cordy snapped, gasping as she tried to put weight on it.

"Can I.." Wesley gestured over her body, trying to silently ask about the clothes she was wearing. Buffy hadn't noticed it in her immediate panic but now it was hard to look away. Cordy was covered in a mockery of a nun outfit, cut off like a skirt but curling over the top of her head the same as the real thing.

"Don't ask."

Buffy tried to help Wesley by taking up Cordy's other side but she snapped, "Don't touch me," every time.

They managed to free themselves of the mansion without trouble but the dog was still walking around, more skittish than normal. It was tossing its head around, howling, and then falling to the ground. They did not bother to think the reason why as they headed for the woods and found a new path to take through the back.

They were halfway there, just crossing the bridge that spanned over the creek when, "Buffy?"

"Spike?" Buffy gasped at the sight of him. He was swaying in place, one hand holding the railing of the wooden bridge as if he needed it to stay upright, and he reeked of alcohol. His eyes were sunken in and his fingers were shaking. She wanted to reach out to him, to ask if he was alright, but then she caught sight of the young vamp behind him. "Dawn?"

"What're you doing?" Dawn asked, taking in all of Cordy's glare as she leaned on Wesley.

"Nothing," Buffy said while lamely trying to cover the other two with an arm. "I mean, I know it doesn't look like nothing but it's nothing. I swear." She turned her head over her shoulder and muttered, "Wesley go."

"Buffy I can't-"

"She needs to get to safety now take her." Buffy stepped in front of Wesley as he led the muttering Cordy off the bridge, acting as a wall between them and the vamps until she was safely off.

"If it isn't the girl herself," Spike spat as he spun from their switching places. "Doesn't even call the morning after. Bloody tart."

"Are you drunk Spike?"

"What happened to you?" Dawn questioned as she stepped in front of Spike and pushed him back.

"Dawn I'm so sorry."

"What're you gonna do now?" Dawn snapped as all her ramblings came piling out. "Are you going to kill us? Angel would kill us right? Is that what you're gonna do? Your own sister. Your own…um…Spike."

"Dawn-"

"Little Bit, shut it," Spike slurred.

"No. I want to know what you'll do. I want to know why we should let her go. She'll just attack us. Join the Scoobies and kill us. She's the Slayer."

"Dawn you don't mean this. I'm not going to-"

"Yes I do! You can't go back Buffy."

"So you're just gonna kill me?"

"No!" Spike yelled, pushing Dawn back but only ended up stumbling after her.

"No," Dawn called after recovering. "But you can't go back. You can't leave. Not again."

"I need to. Dawn, I have to. I have to fix this."

"No-"

"Dawn-"

"No!" Dawn screamed and jumped at her.

She deflected Dawn's hit and sent her back to the flimsy railing but Dawn pushed back and sent Buffy in the other direction. Spike tried to push Buffy out of the way of another attack but ended up throwing himself into the railing as well. Dawn charged and started to throw punches with all her force but Buffy just kept deflecting and weaving away.

"Stop it! Dawn!"

"Fight back! Come on, Slayer! Fight back!"

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

Spike came running back into the mix and threw Dawn away but she flipped onto her feet in her shifted demon form. "Are you on her side now?!"

"There are no sides!" Buffy screamed. "I mean yeah- obviously with the whole good and evil thing- but not with us!"

"Are you alright, love?" Spike asked and she realized he was gripping her tightly around the waist, a hand falling on either side. She was a bit distracted by the feel of his hand on her again, flashes of recent memories mixing with the emotions in her mind.

Everything was blurring together when Dawn rushed at both of them and sent the couple tumbling into the side of the bridge again. The wood of the railing cracked beneath their combined weight and they both went tumbling into the water below.

Buffy sputtered as she swam up and called for Spike but he was ahead of her, not responding and unconscious. She knew they did not need air to survive but that didn't mean he wouldn't get hurt. She fought the current around her and swam after him, calling his name again and again as the water smacked them around like ragdolls.

Buffy kicked against the rocks that bruised her side until she finally reached him and wrapped a hand around the collar of his jacket. She pulled at him but his weight only tugged her under. She growled and pushed harder, kicking her feet as best she could until she reached the side of the river.

She pulled him out and pushed him onto his back. There were wooden bits from the bridge stuck under his clothes and she hurried to remove them for fear of something unbearable happening -like the wood seeping through his skin. She knew it wasn't possible but it still scared her to see wood that close to his chest.

Suddenly she felt her body tackled to the ground and the water fell from her clogged ears as she heard someone scream, "Get away from him!"

On instinct, Buffy flipped their positions and pinned her attacker to the ground, holding the thing she had for a weapon in her hand –a piece of wood off Spike's body. She was just about to finish the attack when she realized it was Dawn beneath her, prepped for the kill.

She was about to kill Dawn.

Her eyes fell open in shock and she felt her wet hands tremble as the stake fell from her fingers and she crawled to get away.

She was overtaken by an onslaught of images as Giles came back into focus followed by Jenny Calendar. They were holding hands and talking to Dawn, a different Dawn who had schoolbooks open on a table in front of her. Then Willow showed up, talking about Dawn's schoolwork over her shoulder.

Buffy closed her eyes to get away from the dreadful, happy scene all but then the screaming came. It wouldn't stop.

_Please!_

_Please don't hurt us!_

_Buffy!_

_Stop! Please, please, please, please!_

_It hurts!_

_Make it stop!_

_Kill me!_

_Please just kill me!_

She didn't hear the calls of her name in realty. She didn't hear Dawn pulling Spike away from the humans that crowded around her. She didn't hear what they had to say.

"Buffy?" Wesley called and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Looks like she went for a swim," Xander said.

"She's unresponsive."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. Let's get her back."

Buffy did not fight as hands picked her up from the ground and took her away.

It didn't matter. No matter where she went, the voices did not stop.


	34. It's For the Best

"Wake up, Nibblet. We're almost there."

"Huh?" Dawn blinked her eyes open and lifted her head from the blacked out window of Spike's new car. He was still driving, the midday sun shining through the small slit they created in the windshield so he could see the road from behind his extra strength sunglasses. "Wha- where are we?"

"Outside Flagstaff."

"Arizona?!" Dawn shot up and tried to look over his shoulder to see the road. "How long was I out? I thought we were going to LA. Hijack a plane. Go to Paris, like you promised. Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Yeah well plans change. Now shut up. We're making a stop."

"Where?"

"To see a gypsy."

"What gypsy? Not the same gypsy that you and Buffy went to-"

"She's the one that stuffed that soul in."

"What?! We talked about this! There's nothing we can do for Buffy. She's stuck with that soul." It had been quite the discussion after running away from the water's edge. After realizing what Buffy had changed into neither really felt like sticking around. They stole the first car they saw, spray painted the windows black, and made a run for it. When Spike asked her where she wanted to go, Dawn said Paris. It had always been a dream of hers. That was the plan. Sunnydale wasn't their life anymore. There was nothing they could do. "You said we could get away."

"Well I lied." He looked over to her with a smile that showed his pearly whites. "Vampire."

Dawn growled and folded back into her seat, seriously doubting his decision making skills when he was running on no sleep. Actually, she doubted his decision making skills on a full night's too. "What're we doing Spike?"

"We both saw Buffy. We both saw what that soul is doing to her."

"No, I saw. You were half unconscious because she tossed you in the creek."

"You tossed us in the creek."

"She was going to kill me!"

"No she wasn't!"

"So what was the stake for then? S'mores by the campfire so we can all hold hands and sing kumbaya? Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure the only fires there were meant for us to burn in."

"You're the one that attacked her!" Spike vehemently argued back, the car swerving along the vacant road as he flipped to yell at her face. "She was just pulling me out."

"Yeah, so she could kill you."

"Will you shut up? Buffy wants that soul out. That's why we're going. End of story. No more arguing or I swear I will push you out the window."

"What makes you think this gypsy will help? If I remember correctly, she wasn't all friendly with you or Buffy. I'm pretty sure she was quite murdery."

"She'll help us because she's got to."

"Oh real nice logic. I'm sure you'll convince her, really."

"Then I'll make her," Spike growled and the steering wheel beneath his clenched fists started to give into the pressure and crack. Stupid Dawn was sounding a lot like her older sister and it was not helping his temper.

"You saw how powerful she is! She looked more powerful than Willow!"

"And that's why she's the one to do it. I know her type. We find the right price, we pay it. It'll happen."

"What if it doesn't happen?"

"It'll happen. We'll find a way."

"What if we can't?! What if Buffy is stuck with that soul? What if the fine print is too fine this time?"

"Then we'll lawyer up. I know just the law firm in fact."

"Cut it out Spike. What if there isn't a way? What then?"

"Then I get one. For me."

"One what?" Dawn glared at the side of his face but he refused to look at her, a distant gaze tunneling on the horizon as he slammed down on the gas. "Spike?" He still would not listen and that made his intentions quite clear. "You're not talking about a soul are you? You can't!"

"Watch me!" He sneered out the window as he pressed on the pedal harder and sent the engine into overdrive.

"So you're gonna leave me too?!"

"I can't leave her Little Bit. You saw what that soul is doing to her. You think all of those humans understand what's happening? That they don't only see the vamp? They see Buffy the vampire and Angel the soul. They don't see her. They don't understand. I can understand. I can help her."

"What about me?"

"We'll find one for you too."

"What if I don't want one?!"

"Tough luck kiddo. Life's a bitch. Best you understand that now. Just cus you got teeth, don't mean that changes."

"You're the bitch," Dawn muttered, too angry to argue past getting in the last word.

They drove an hour longer, following the directions Spike weaseled out of a witch in LA while Dawn was sleeping. Dawn did not know this and did not bother to ask as she quietly fumed in the passenger's seat. When they reached the house, a simple looking one-story home at the end of a dead end road, the sun was still out so they sat in more angry silence until it dipped below the horizon.

Spike got out of the car first, not bothering to check if Dawn was following as he stomped up to the front door. Dawn got out anyway, ready to see all of this blow up in his face.

It took many furious, pounding knocks before Florica opened the door to glare at her guests, "What do you- oh it's you. How did you find me? Don't answer that. Get off my property."

"We need your help," Spike jumped to stop her from slamming the door in their face but he couldn't move his hand past the threshold to ensure it.

"You can't have it," Florica said with a smile, glaring at them both while slipping the door back into place. "Go away."

"Don't make me beg here!"

"Don't make me kill you."

"Alright!" Spike yelled when she started to slip the lock back in. He rolled his eyes and put on a handsome smile, fluttering his eyes through the window she could see them through. "Pretty please with a bloody cherry on top can we come in? We could really use your super witchy powers here."

"Will it get you to leave?"

"Vampire's honor," Spike lifted his hand in the air and gestured for Dawn to do the same but she just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, waiting for this all to go to hell.

Florica re-opened the door and stepped aside saying, "You have five minutes before I send you to China," before inviting them in. She led them to the first room they reached, plainly decorated and clearly not lived in. She took a seat on the only chair in the room and gestured for them to sit on the floor. They glared at each other but did what she wanted. "What is it that you want with me? Seeing as I want nothing to do with you."

"That soul," Spike started. "You shoved it in Buffy."

"I never said who I would return a soul to." She gave a cocky smirk and added, "And I am not the one that performed the spell."

"Might as well have," Spike mumbled.

Dawn sighed, and just got to the point, "He wants you to undo it."

"Thanks high school," Florica sneered. "I got that."

"So you will?" Spike asked hopefully.

"No."

"Why not?" Dawn asked, quickly taking Spike's side after the high school comment, suppressing the urge she had to let her fangs fall down and take a chomp out of their host's leg.

"Because she doesn't care," Spike answered. "We haven't offered her anything, yet."

"And what is it that you plan to give me?" Florica asked, waving her arms as she leaned back in her comfortable lounger.

"For starters," Spike reached into the pocket of his jacket and slipped out the dragon blade, its red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room as he tossed it between them. "I'm returning this. Sign of good faith and all that."

"Good faith?" Florica scoffed and pulled the knife to her using magic, rocking it between her palms as she inspected it. "After you stole it from me in the first place. Do you know how much this is worth? And it's been used!"

"Yeah, really came in handy with all that letter opening," Spike chuckled and Dawn suppressed a smile but Florica's anger did not subside. "Alright not in the mood. Got it. No foreplay. To the point then. Just tell me what it'll cost and I'll do it."

Florica glared longer, her nostrils flaring and her fingers clenching. Her stare continued for an uncomfortable amount of time until her face relaxed and a mischievous smile crawled over her lips. It was then that she relaxed back into her chair and started to run her finger over the design of the dragon and said, "I see you want this desperately. The spell cannot easily be undone. Because she was not the original owner, extra precautions had to be taken. Blood is binding after all."

"What's done can always be undid," Spike snarled, ready to speed this up already. "So undo it. You made the contract with that knife so you have all you need."

"That's not true. You still haven't offered me anything."

"I said I'd do anything."

"On your word? Pointless." She sent a blast of wind in their direction and opened the door behind them, letting the dirt clouding in their eyes push them in the correct direction. "Stop wasting my time and leave."

"Spike…" Dawn started to get up and tugged at his jacket until he stood with her. The gypsy's eyes were now as black as Willow's but she gave no sign of ailment. She was pure power and Dawn could feel it. There was a danger at being in the same room with her and Dawn did not want to push it. "Let's go."

"Not yet," Spike brushed her off and glared at the black-eyed gypsy. "I'm staying till she gives me something."

"She's floating off the ground!" As Dawn yelled it was true. Florica had gone from sitting to standing to floating over them, keeping her intimidating height.

"Yeah, and your theatrics don't scare me! So you're gonna do what I say or-"

"Or what?" Florica cooed, charmed by his macho bravado.

"I'll give you my soul," Spike played his card. "In return for removing hers. You'll have two to do what you want with. Sell 'em, eat 'em, juggle 'em, I don't care."

"Do you know nothing?" Florica floated back to the ground and circled the two vamps as she explained. "Your soul does not inhabit your body. If I could freely pluck souls from the sky I would be the richest woman on earth. I can only take a soul that is contained within a vessel."

"Then put it in me first."

"Ohhhhhhh. I see. That's what this about? Either both your souls gone or both your souls in?"

"I said you could take it out again."

"But only if hers is gone as well or you would try to find a way to escape me. Besides, why would I want to remove a soul from you after placing it in? It would be torcher. Much like how your precious Buffy is feeling right now. That is why you want it out of her isn't it?"

"So put it in me then."

"No."

"What do you mean no?!"

"Because I don't want to do anything for you," Florica smiled at the pure hatred that came rolling off him. He was trying so desperately not to pin her to the wall and bash her head in but Dawn's hand on his arm was keeping him in place. "I don't have to. You lied to me, attacked me, destroyed my business. After dealing with you everyone blames me for you screwing up the entire world…I don't care to do what you want. I'm not going to help you."

"What part of _anything_ don't you understand?"

Florica continued to circle them and hummed as she reiterated, "Anything I want?"

Spike could feel the subtext in her question, a rush of instinctual defense streaming to the top but he meant it. He would do anything for Buffy. "Did I stutter?"

"What about the girl?" Florica gestured to Dawn.

"She stays out of this."

"Hey-"

"Shut it," Spike said pushing her away before she could argue again.

"I would need something grand," the gypsy continued. "Something powerful. Something that would gain favor back with my clients."

"Name it. I'll get it."

"How old are you? William the Bloody…over a century, correct?"

"Yeah-"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Dawn interrupted.

"It is very hard to kill a vampire aged so long. Usually their death is only successful due to extreme amounts of luck, stupidity, or mania on their part. Most vampire deaths occur within the first week. The ashes of a run of the mill vampire," she pointedly looked to Dawn, "might be worth something to someone but the ashes of a century old vampire," she stroked a finger down Spike's prominent cheek bone, "are worth a lot to everyone. There are spells for prolonged life, youthfulness, and beauty that can be made from the leftovers of an ancient vampire's death. I have many clients who would be willing to sell their children for a spec of it."

"You want my ashes?" Spike asked behind a stoic face.

"And look who can keep up," Florica gave a final pat on the cheek before spinning away from him.

"No!" Dawn shouted. "No you can't-"

"Shut up Dawn," Spike threw her away again and chased after Florica. "That'll do it? My ashes for her soul out?"

"That'll do."

"No!" Dawn ran after him and shouted again. "No deal! You can't kill yourself over this!"

"Yes I can!" He yelled back, pushing her a few more steps towards the door so he could throw her out. "Do you know what a soul does to a vamp?Angel barely survived and all he did was hide in the shadows. Your sister is not gonna hide. The world isn't going back after what we did and she's going to try and fix it. I know her. Things won't get better for her. That soul will eat her alive and she won't fight as hard and she'll end up killing herself. I can't let her do that. I'm not going to live in a world without her but she can live in a world without me. I've seen enough anyway. Lived long life. Long enough to hear her say she loves me. That's all I need as long as she keeps on living. One of us has got to. I prefer it be her."

"I knew you had feelings for the girl but this is knight in shining armor, dive on your sword honor," Florica cheered from the corner but was ignored by both vamps.

"She would be so pissed," Dawn shook her head, refusing to cry. She was a vampire, she would not cry. This was pathetic. She didn't have a soul why would she care? Dammit she cared. "She can't stand people sacrificing themselves for her. She says that's her job."

"Yeah, well, she'll get over it."

"She'll be extra pissed because it's you. You, Spike. She loves you."

"She'll have you. You are the most important thing to her. She might not get that across but it's true."

"We can figure out a different way. So we can all be together," Dawn pleaded and grabbed at his jacket to keep him from turning back to the gypsy. She let a few tears spill over but tried to hide them by curling her head into her shoulder. He still shook his head at her. "What am I gonna do?"

"You'll have her, she'll have you. Who'll I have anyway? Dru's gone. Angelus can go suck an egg. I don't care about the others. If I don't do this-"

"Then you'll have me!" She yelled and hit him hard in the chest, pushing him back a step as she followed. "We can go to Paris like we planned. You can show me London and where you were changed and-"

"You don't want to hang around me." He shook his head and backed away another step, keeping his arms over his chest in case she decided to throw another punch -Summers girls and their stupid surprise attacks. "You might not have a soul but you love your sister. I can't live with myself knowing what'll happen to her."

"You don't know what'll happen to her! Buffy is strong. She can live with a soul."

"It's not even hers. She'll reject it like a virus."

"Oh so you're the expert now?"

"He's not wrong," Florica sang.

"Shut up! Just- shut up!" Dawn screamed at her and turned back to Spike with the same malice. "You are not doing this!"

"Yes I am." He spun to the gypsy before Dawn could get a hold again. "Deal."

"Alright," Florica waved her hand and silenced Dawn with magic before she could scream and irritate her more. "I will remove her soul and you," she turned to the silent Dawn who was clawing at her throat as she tried to scream, "will send me the ashes to this address. If I do not get them by the time I leave this house then I will put it right back in and you will never see me again."

"Agreed," Spike nodded and raised his hand as Florica cut her palm with the same blade she used on Buffy and cut his as well.

"Don't ask me to do this," Dawn cried as soon as the spell of silence was taken from her.

"I'm sorry Little Bit," Spike grasped the gypsy's palm and the blood mingled and the magic did its job. "It's for the best."

* * *

Willow lifted her head from the ground with an ache that ran down her very spine. She promptly let it fall back into the softness behind her and she flipped to smell Tara under her head. She lifted her eyes in hope but the girl was not there. It was just her sweater.

She slowly pulled her body from the ground and leaned against the wall of a torn apart building as she tried to quell the headache and understand what had happened. From the destruction around her she could visualize the fight. She remembered the whistle and the Beastraki trying to attack her and the way she defeated it. She also remembered the horror on Tara's face when she saw her, the hatred, the disgust. She growled and her hands curled together as she pushed to her feet.

Tara said she looked terrible, that she was killing herself. Well it was time she fixed that and showed Tara what she was really all about. Tara would understand. Tara would see. All she needed to do was show her how powerful she was. Her human body could not contain her strength alone. She needed to fix that.

She started to walk towards the mansion, ignoring the vampire disappearances. She walked and walked, ignoring the call for her body to fall to the ground and sleep for weeks, until she passed one of the many bars that stayed open all hours of the night and day. Without bothering to open the door she mentally sent it flying, silencing all the demons inside in that single moment. She pointed to one of the fledgling vampires, a girl she had went to college with back when everything was less apocalyptic and much more about unending piles of homework in psychology.

The fledgling gulped but followed in fear as all were scared of the witch who controlled the demon dogs. Willow led her down the alley and pushed her against the wall, clinging her bloodied hands onto the girl's jacket as she said, "I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah?" The girl asked in fear but did not try to run.

"I need you to change me."


	35. Betterment of the World

Faith peeled her hands off the arms of her claimed, cushy safe house chair and threw them into the air as she was forced to turn the TV off due to the Watcher buzzing in her ear. "But we don't need her! You already got the information out of her before she went comatose. Who cares if she wakes up?"

Wesley gave an exasperated sigh as he continued to argue and pace, needing to swerve around Faith's legs and narrowly avoiding his knee banging the corner of coffee table as he did. "We need everyone we can get. She is a Slayer-"

"Yeah, and so am I. I can handle it."

"Drusilla nearly drained you-"

"Not my fault." She didn't need the reminder either. Her neck was still sore and bruised an ugly purplish green color. "Angelus was distracting me. Besides, she's dead now! Another win for us."

"What makes you think that was a win? Gunn dropped two stories-"

"He's fine now! Shoulder popped back in like a Ken doll."

"He's bruised internally and probably has a concussion. Xander could barely stand when I saw him. Cordelia was almost dead. She's still-"

"That one's not on us! She was dying because of them," Faith gave a rough gesture towards the Sunnydale direction.

"Look at the team we have left," Wesley practically growled as he crowded her chair and tried to look more intimidating than his thin frame would naturally let him. "Those three are out of commission due to injury, as are you, and Tara has locked herself in her room and refuses to come out. That leaves me. I cannot face this alone."

"I'm not outta the game here. I just need another day for that spare blood to soak in and I'll be up to bat." Waking up with an IV in her arm was something she never wanted to relive. "Slayer healing powers? Hello?"

"You are missing the point."

"You're missing the point! Buffy is evil. She's an evil, dead vampire. I'm not gonna try snapping her out of it. She could go psycho murderer. She already looks like she punted Angel's soul with the way she's been chanting at air. You do it if you want but-"

"That is the point! I can't! I have to fix things here because I know you are not able, nor willing, to do so. Whether you like it or not, I have a responsibility to my team and my team includes you and it includes her. We cannot attack again in any capacity with what we have now."

"So that means Buffy? We. Don't. Need. Her."

"Yes we do."

"Why is everything always about Buffy? Needing her is like a disease around here. You should all go to therapy."

Wesley groaned and took a seat on the corner of the table, leveling his eyes with hers as he cleaned his glasses and admitted, "We need you too. I need you, Faith. I need you to stow this animosity you have against her for the betterment of the world. You do understand that, don't you? You say you seek redemption but you do not show it. We need all the help we can get and that includes hers."

Faith glared at him for a few moments more but she was too tired to argue any further. Plus, he might have had a tiny, itty, small, puny point. "Well what do you expect me to do? Slapping her, cold water, screaming in her ear –none of that worked!"

"Magic."

"Magic?"

"You are going to enter her mind."

"Enter her- are you smoking something? Is there a drug stash I haven't found?"

"You two are connected as the Slayers. It should be easy for you."

"You're not joking." She actually laughed as she said, "Don't you think me going in there will be a bit too much? Three's company you know. Me and Angel and her-"

"Which is why you have to be gentle. I realize that's similar to asking a lion for a cuddle, but you must try. If you disrupt things too much, you could send her over the edge. You must find her and bring her back safely."

"This is ridiculous." She slumped further in her chair and pulled at the tangles in her hair. "Of course I get stuck doing it."

"It may take some time. We will have to lay you next to her for the duration of the spell. When you are asleep I will hook you up to fluids and-"

"No, no, no, no, no. No way. I'm not going back to that junk. I've had enough of that hospital crap shoved inside my body."

"Fine." The way Wesley rolled his eyes made her doubt he would actually listen to her. "Depending on how long it takes, I will keep you away from the … hospital crap…as long as possible."

"Wait, how do I get back then? Out of her head?"

"When she returns, so will you."

"But what if she doesn't?" Wesley frowned and dropped his gaze to the ground. "Oh that's just great."

"Xander will watch over the two of you and Cordy. Gunn will be joining me."

"Well that makes me feel better."

"We begin now."

"Now?" Wesley nodded and started to head for the stairs. Faith tossed her head around in a circle and grumbled as she removed herself from her spot, "Well that's just…wicked fantastic."

The spare room up the stairs had been converted into a makeshift hospital room. There were three beds jammed together from wall to wall with a few electronic devices and IVs shoved in. Wesley had some medical knowledge stocked in that big brain of his that he put to good use and Gunn had seen enough injuries to know a few quick fixes. Plus, the doctor books in the library helped them out too. Faith was unconscious at the time it was set up so she didn't know all the ins and outs.

They couldn't go to a real hospital because they were chuck full of people injured from the demons that leaked out of the hellmouths. They tried to stop in one the next town over but they couldn't make it to the ER desk it was so crowded. This was what they had. It was going to have to be good enough.

To the right was Cordy, still unconscious and hooked up to most of the beeping things. They had cleaned her up and dressed her down but she still looked paler than any vampire Faith had seen, more like a corpse than anything. Xander was sitting by her side and holding onto her arm, the book he brought up as a distraction and maybe for research pointlessly closed by his side.

"Sup Xander?" Faith nodded to him as she jumped on the empty bed in the middle. It was the one they shoved Gunn in when he was dealing with his injuries. He was fine now. Every time they woke him up to make sure there wasn't any head damaged, he popped those eyes right open and complained. Xander had been the one dealing with the brunt of his wake-up call bitching.

"Ready to be my watcher? Get it?" Faith wiggled her brows at Xander and Wesley. "Watcher cus you were- and he's- whatever."

Wesley was being a complete stick in the mud and turned to Xander instead of acknowledging her joke. "How is Cordelia?"

Xander shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept since they returned. Actually, he probably hadn't. "She's still out of it but she has a pulse and she's breathing."

"Good."

"Buffy's still talking," Xander nodded towards Buffy, on the last bed shoved to the left. She was on top of the sheets, her eyes open and her body shaking. "She said something about algebra and popcorn. Something about the church bells but I don't think any of it makes sense. Not unless she's throwing a math party at a chapel."

"Great," Faith sighed. "Sounds like so much fun. So glad I get to join."

"Thank you for staying." Wesley ignored her again and nodded towards Xander. "Faith, hold this."

Faith caught the bright red jewel he chucked at her and held it up to the light. It wasn't carved, just a large hunk of stone that fit in her palm, but it shined like a ruby, "Fancy rock."

"Just hold it and close your eyes." Wesley put a similar rock, shining a blue sapphire, into Buffy's palm and closed her fingers around it. "You should feel like you're falling asleep. Just don't fight it. Let it take you into sleep." Wesley picked up a book from the side of Buffy's bed and flipped through the pages as Faith laid back and did what he asked, seriously wondering why she agreed to this again. She wiggled down to get comfortable as Wesley started to chant and the light in front of her closed lids started to fade into complete darkness.

When Faith opened her eyes again, she was blinking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Spinning on the comfort of a bed that was way too soft for her taste, she took in the rest of the room and groaned. It was Buffy's bedroom, all the way in Sunnydale. Dammit, when did she return to Sunnydale?

Lingering in the back of her mind was the truth that she had never returned, that she was far away in the middle of a desert, but that did not sink in until she crawled down the stairs and stepped out onto the street. They were clean of all destruction, the regular happy-go-lucky, white picket fence suburban roads with swept sidewalks and trimmed lawns. Even her clothes were a bright green and blue –something frilly she wouldn't be caught dead in.

It was surprisingly empty in the town. She wasn't really sure where to go. She knew she had to find Buffy but where would she be? No one was in the Summers' house. She guessed a goody-goody like her would be in school, even on a day like this, but Buffy was an official college drop out. Where did that leave?

She figured she would check the Bronze for the sake of it. The ghost town silence was starting to freak her out and maybe Buffy's mind would be rocking some tunes. Anything really.

One sweep through and she found it empty and silent, just like everyplace else. She groaned and jumped behind the bar, ignoring the rules of mind walking and looking for a bottle of Captain Jack she could crack open. She was just about to pour a shot of whatever was on the top shelf when she heard the call of her name.

"Faith?"

"Angel?"

* * *

Being dead was interesting.

The last sound in Willow's ear was that of Petunia's brother chomping her sire's head off. The scream sounded like nothing more than a whimper as she settled into the bed of dirt.

She had forced the girl fledgling to bite her, was it only hours ago? She was unconscious, on the ground, somewhere in the woods. Her dogs were circling her, protecting her while she slept. She was well aware of the threat they could be if Gunn came back with his whistle but she was sure no one would find her.

Her body was changing, morphing into the vampire demon that would be able to sustain her power.

Immediate darkness met her when she fell, drained of all blood, but it was followed by a strange consciousness. Never having been a vampire before, she didn't know what it was supposed to be like but she imagined –based on the lore- she would feel as if she were sleeping until she woke up demonized. So it was only right of her to have a dream.

In her dream she was wondering the streets of Sunnydale. It was all very empty. It looked like it did so long ago, before the hellmouths, before the loss of her soul, before the Mayor, before college. It was as if someone ripped a page out of her high school yearbook and plastered it into her mind.

She had no destination planned so she let her feet guide her, one step in front of the other, letting her mind wander until she got where she needed to go.

* * *

"Angel, you look," Faith shook her head and jumped over the bar to clap him on the shoulder. It was definitely him. A big block of man blending into the menacing shadows by the stage and still somehow managing to look shy. God, it was good to see him. "Well, you don't look evil."

"Thanks," Angel smiled and rubbed his hands together. "I think. What are you doing here?"

"Wow," Faith poked him in the arm and laughed when he rocked with her finger. "This is so weird."

"You're telling me."

"I'm looking for Buffy. Sorta."

"So am I," he shrugged. "I'm think I'm supposed to be with her but every time I think I'm close, I end up somewhere else. It's like she's pushing me away. "

"So," Faith drawled and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Do you know that you're in Buffy or-"

"Kinda figured it out. Memories of buying dresses and obtaining certain-" he gestured to his chest and cupped his hands, awkwardly miming his meaning, "-endowments…not really mine."

"Aww, Angel buys his first bra. I would have paid money to see that shopping trip."

"Speaking of shopping trips, I like your outfit."

"I'm not sure your tits will fit big guy. Why? You wanna try it on?"

He laughed merrily and shook his head, bringing a smile to her face. "How are you, Faith? I only get glimpses. I see your arm is better."

"Yeah," she swung it out in a lazy punch. "Minor injuries heal up pretty quick when I have blood pumping. And Wesley knows how to make a pretty mean sling so…"

"How is he?"

"Good. Fine. Everyone is fine. I mean, kinda banged up from our last meet and greet with your other half but we're okay."

"But not Buffy."

"No," Faith frowned and jumped back behind the bar, clinking the bottles together as she searched for something she liked. "She kinda went zombie on us. I was only joking when I said it before-"

"How do we help her?"

"I don't really know. Wesley sent me in here telling me to pull her out of it all gentle like. That's about all I got. That and this shot." She held up the ounce of rum she poured and easily knocked it back. Angel frowned as she poured herself another. "Oh don't give me that look. It's not real alcohol. It's mind alcohol! Zero percent."

"We should look for her."

"It's sunny out. Can you- never mind." She shook her head as she stared out the door and saw the lack of sunlight streaming in. Through the tiny crack she could see the clear sky. "Okay, it's night. That's freaky."

"Have you checked her house?"

"That's where I came in. No one's there. No one's anywhere."

"Let's check the Magic Box," Angel didn't wait for her to catch up as he headed straight out the door.

"Sure thing boss." She tipped her shot back and jogged after him, grinning at his back and taking her time before falling in line with him.

* * *

Willow stood in front of the Magic Box with her head tilted in curiosity. She distinctly remembered this burned down and all magical items inside left at the mansion for her playtime.

However, when she walked through the door everything was in place, just as it had been when she first became interested in magic. No one was inside but there was plenty to look at for the time being. She forgot how much the shop had changed.

* * *

Angel and Faith forgot all urgency as they slowly approached the Magic Box and caught up on their lives since the last time they spoke. Faith told him how she escaped prison after Wesley's request and all that happened since he lost his soul. Then came all the info about the Summers girls, Willow, and the rest of the Scoobies. Angel told her his side of the ordeal but he didn't have much to add seeing as how he was stuck in Buffy's head. It was nice to hear him talk like Angel again and not that warped Angelus version. She preferred this one.

The sight of the old shop gave them some relief. A light illumined the sidewalk from inside and a shadow popped out behind the shelves showing someone inside.

"That's gotta be her," Faith nodded towards the shadow and peeked in the window but she couldn't make Buffy out. She kept moving too much.

Angel swung the door open and both ran in, stopping just as fast in surprise when they found Willow inside instead, spinning quickly to greet them.

"Willow?" Faith dumbly looked around, expecting more people to be around. They were still alone. Well, this didn't feel right at all. Little warning bells were going off like crazy and her senses kicked into high gear. "You're here?"

"That's Willow?" Angel inspected the dark hair and black eyes closer but he clearly wasn't believing it.

"What are you two doing here?" Willow demanded.

Faith's hand flung for her weapon…which she didn't have. Stupid unconscious dream world thing. "I asked you first," she said over a fake smile as she searched the shop.

"Oh," Willow started sliding closer, an easy and untrustworthy grin sliding over her lips. She hummed and skimmed her fingertips over the items on the shelves as she passed them, making her way from the back to where Faith and Angel stood. "I was just looking. Doing a little window shopping."

"Wait," Angel threw his hand up and mumbled to Faith from the corner of his mouth. "Something is wrong here."

"I told you she'd gone all black eyes."

"Not that. The shop. Spike and Buffy and me, we trashed this place. It looks-"

"Whoa," Faith gasped as the shop started to shift and modernize, growing bigger and open with books lining the back walls and the register moving aside. Willow's hand dropped into thin air as everything shifted around her and she too was stunned for that moment.

"You just- I am never going to get used to that," Faith whispered.

"How did you do that?" Willow commanded. "This is my dream. How are you changing it?"

"Your dream?" Faith scoffed.

"Yeah, your dream." Angel grabbed Faith by her arm and started to pull her back towards the door. "We're just figments of your imagination."

"What?" Faith looked to Angel who glared at her until she turned to Willow and stumbled over an agreement. "Wha- yeah. Um. Figments. Tiny figments. Crumbs. Like tiny slivers of um…pie."

"Pie?" Willow was not amused with Faith's stalling and was seriously not amused when Angel grabbed the door handle. Her eyes snapped to his with deadly focus, well, that's how it appeared anyway. It was hard to tell what she was looking at with her eyes all black.

"Run," Angel whispered as he flung the door open, the same moment Willow lifted her hand and shot them high into the air, sending them skidding across the pavement of the street.

"You okay?" Angel asked as they hauled themselves off the ground, turned to face the witch stepping slowly out of the shop, and started backing away.

"Won't be if she kills me," Faith groaned and looked at her bloodied arms. Road burn sucked. "How is she even here? Is she actually Willow or Buffy's brain? What happens if I die in here? Do I die as in dead or what?"

"I don't think it's Buffy. But I don't know. To any of that. Best we avoid finding out. I can't die either."

"Or Buffy goes bad. Dammit, what do we do?"

"Um-" Angel pulled her sharply into the closest ally as Willow slipped a light post out of the ground –as easy as if it were a toothpick in a cupcake- and swung it in their direction.

"Wait! Ooh. Oh, oh, oh-" Faith jumped with excitement at the light bulb going off. Well, not the light bulb of the light post. She had no reason to enjoy that -other than the explosion, which was kind of cool. No, she just thought of a super smarty pants, genius idea. "You. You changed the shop when you said it looked different and it's dark out only after I said it was sunny and stuff. You're sharing Buffy's space. Maybe if you picture her all red and not evil, maybe she won't be able to attack us."

"Alright," he seemed skeptical but nodded anyway. "I'll give it a shot. Just- give me a second."

"It's no fun if you don't fight back!" Willow yelled as she lifted another light post from the ground and threw it into the first, trapping them into their cramped space.

"Come on Angel," Faith nudged him and searched for a weapon. There was nothing in this stupid alley. Only Buffy would picture the nooks and crannies cleanly swept.

"I'm concentrating. Hang on."

Angel's eyes closed and Faith jumped in front of him when a fragment of a fire hydrant came hurdling their way. She groaned when it hit her bloodied arms but Angel must have done something because when she prepared for the next attack, ready to run out and be the distraction, Willow was changing.

"What?" Willow gasped as she fell to her knees in the middle of the pool of water spraying from the jet stream pushing out of the sidewalk. The black started to fade from her eyes and hair. It all spiraled inside of her and melted away until she was clear of any dark magic, left with the body she had before the change, red hair and clear skin. "What's happening?"

"Oh my god. It worked!" Faith lunged before Willow could get up and lifted her by the clothes on her back. She chucked her into the window of the Magic Box so hard that she crashed right through the glass. Faith jumped through the broken shards after her and punched her across the temple while she was still in shock on the ground. Surprisingly, it only took one blow before she was knocked out cold.

"Let's run," Angel called and Faith slipped out to the street to meet him. "Before she wakes up. Don't know if she'll stay like that."

"To where?" Faith called as she started to run straight down the road after him with no particular direction in mind. She looked behind to see if there was a chance Willow was just faking it but they seemed to at least have a head start. The witch was out but they had to find Buffy before she came to. Whatever Willow was doing there, she was not there to help. "Where else could Buffy be?"

"We have to keep looking."

They ran everywhere. They checked the school and the shops and the main cemeteries and back at the house and even at Spike's crypt.

"She's not anywhere!" Faith cried as they made their third pass around town. Willow hadn't caught up with them but when they checked on their last pass, she wasn't at the Magic Box anymore. They didn't know where she went and that was looming over them, making their urgency return in full force. "This is pointless."

"Just, hold on."

"For what? For Willow to catch up?!"

"There's one place we haven't checked. Come on."

Angel led them through the maze of woods and to a secret plot of land Faith did not know about. Wherever they were, this was it. "Oh shit," Faith gasped as she took in the crowd of people centered around the area, all looking at something she couldn't see. "Well, we found the people."

"Yeah, but where's Buffy?"

"Hey, B! You in that mosh pit?!"

Faith jumped up but she couldn't see anything past the mass. It seemed like the entire town was there -men, woman, children, entire families- all shoulder to shoulder and screaming. It was hard to make out what anyone was saying; it was all just a loud roar. They definitely were all staring at something but they were too many of them all moving. She couldn't see.

"I see her," Angel said first. Stupid vampire eyes.

"Where?"

"Buffy!" Angel pushed through the shoulders of the first layer of crowd and grabbed Faith's hand, dragging her behind. "Buffy!" They pushed and she kicked and fought through many vaguely familiar faces until they reached the center. They were teetering on the edge of a hole, dug six feet deep, with a carved headstone reading: _Buffy Anne Summers_ , _1981-2001_ , _Beloved Sister_ , _Devoted Friend_ , _She Saved The World A Lot_

"Buffy," Angel disappeared before Faith's eyes as he jumped into the grave, landing on top of a small coffin at the bottom. Only then could Faith make out Buffy. She blended in with the black of the earth in her funeral dress, hugged tight over her body as she tried to cover her ears, teetering back and forth in the corner of the coffin.

Faith was just starting to hear the reason for Buffy's hiding. All the voices, all the people, they were screaming accusations directly at her. Some were pleading, some were crying, some were screaming –it was all terrible.

Faith jumped right in after Angel and hugged the dirt to give him room and prepare to protect as he tried to talk to her.

"Buffy, hey. It's me. Open your eyes." The moment Angel touched her, the voice above exploded in volume. Faith was immediately drawn to the bottom where a young Willow and Dawn peeked over the edge. They were both screaming to Buffy -Dawn was crying and Willow was just saying ' _no'_ over and over. They were both almost collapsing due to the amount of people pressing against them.

"You're making it worse!" Faith pulled Angel off Buffy and twisted in the small space. The pressure lessened overhead and they were no longer near falling, but the voices were still there. "She's gonna shove you away again. Or out."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?

"Let me." Faith dropped in front of Buffy and shook her head. The other Slayer was shaking like crazy, mumbling things that didn't make any sense. It was worse in here than out in the real world. "Not planning a pizza party are you?" She wouldn't acknowledge Faith talking to her. She just kept her head on her knees and her arms over her head.

She had never seen Buffy like this. Yeah, a part of her was kinda enjoying the mess Little Ms. Perfect could be, but that wasn't why she was there. Suddenly she felt awkward, at a loss with what she should do. What would Buffy do if their situations were switched? Probably braid her hair and sing slumber party songs. Oh, she didn't need Buffy for this. She's got this.

Faith tentatively put her hand on Buffy's arm and checked up. The voices didn't get any worse at least. "Buffy. Hey, listen. It's me, Faith. I know you're kinda wiggin out right now but we apparently need you." With a deep sigh, Faith tapped into her inner Watcher and pleaded, "See, all these voices in your head or whatever-" Faith looked up at the physical representations, "-you can't let them smother you like this. You let them and you'll never dig yourself out. Trust me. I know." Buffy's shaking had become less violent but she kept her head down and missed Faith's wry smile. "So you gotta face it, alright? Don't let them win. They're just ghosts. You gonna sit back and let a few whiny ghosts tell you what to do? You gotta fight 'em. You're a Slayer. It's what we're all about. Fighting the good fight, remember? Don't let them keep you down. Make them you're bitch. Make them drive you; remind you why you're fighting. Cus you gotta come back and fight for us. Ride the redemption train. With me. Um- yeah. I think that's all I got."

"Since when have you been into Slayer speeches?" Angel didn't even bother hiding his smile.

"I try to suppress them as much as I can." Faith smirked at him before turning back to Buffy. She figured rousing inspirational speeches would be her thing and she stopped whimpering at least. It wasn't getting worse. "Angel is here too but he's not here to hurt you. He's here to help. So- um- Open your eyes and all those voices will be gone, where they belong. They'll be there but they're not here to hurt you. They'll help. Yeah? Open your eyes." God she felt like she needed to wash out her mouth. These words were ridiculous coming out of her mouth. Anything for the betterment of the world, right? "I'd threaten to make you but I'm really trying to be nice here. So...do it."

It happened slowly. The voices overhead started to get quieter, one stopping after the other. The people pressing overhead started to disappear as well, one by one, until only Dawn was left. It took a moment longer but, in time, Dawn vanished too.

When little Summers was gone, Buffy started to move up, lifting her head slowly and blinking at Faith. "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

Faith laughed and shook Buffy's arm, "Knew this gettup was yours. Wanna take it off me?"

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Angel, I think she's back."

"Angel?" Buffy peeked around her to see him.

"Buffy," Angel smiled and knelt next to Faith, keeping his hands off Buffy just in case. "How are you?"

"I feel better. I think."

Angel smiled in pure gooey happiness but then his forehead creased and he tilted his head. "Wait, why are you like you?"

"Yeah," Faith nodded as she realized what he meant and inspected the red flush over Buffy's pink face. Her Slayer senses weren't going off or screaming vampire at all, not like they did with Willow. "Why aren't you all evil and vamped out?"

"Am I supposed to be?"

"No," Angel hurriedly amended. "No, you're not. You're you. That's all that matters."

"Sure," Faith glanced at Angel and made a mental note to keep an eye on her. They didn't need her to flip the switch when there were no stakes available and killing her would probably be a bad idea anyway. Wesley made that pretty _not_ clear but she didn't want to find out. And she did not feel like getting stuck in this ghost town forever, if that's even what would happen.

"We ran into Willow and she wasn't quite the same," Angel explained.

Faith stepped back to help Buffy up and added, "We kept her off for a bit but-"

"But it didn't work," Willow's voice sang from above with perfect timing.

"Willow?" Buffy asked looking towards the ground above. They could see Willow's blackened face peeking over, an arm flung over the edge of Buffy's gravestone as she leered at them.

"I don't know where I am or why you are all here but I don't really care," Willow glared at the three and they were overcome with the sudden sensation of being stuck in a trap.

Buffy barely stretched before she started to jump, bounding up the walls of dirt with ease until she was on the grass above. "You're in my head Willow."

"Am I? Only you and a couple intruders? I thought this felt like a petty prom queen's dream. I was worried it had something to do with Cordy," Willow giggled at her own joke as she slipped her hands down the smooth stone and started to trace the engraving of Buffy's name. "Your hospitality is atrocious."

"You can shove a card in the suggestion box on your way out," Buffy quipped just like her old self.

"Angel," Faith helped him the rest of the way out of the hole. "Do the thing. Do it!"

"I am. It's not working as well."

Angel started concentrating on Willow when he escaped the grave and it seemed like the black was starting to fade away but just as soon as the smoke spiraled out of her eyes, it came bounding right back. Suddenly, the Willow from high school -the one who had been peeking over the side with long red hair and the inability to say anything but no- popped up next to dark Willow.

"And now there are two of them," Angel groaned. "Great."

"What the hell?" Willow turned to her red half with a scowl.

"Wha- wha- is-" Red Willow stuttered and looked to Buffy, Faith, and Angel for an answer. "Is that- is that me?"

"Oh god, that was me." Dark Willow rolled her eyes and glared at Angel. "You really had to bring her here?"

"What happened?" Red Willow turned to them again. "What happened to me?"

"It's Buffy's fault," dark Willow supplied the answer.

"Buffy?"

"She did this to us. She had us kill Tara and open the hellmouths. That did this to us."

"No. Buffy wouldn't do that. Would you Buffy? Buffy?"

"Willow," Buffy cried over a quivering lip, having quickly reverted back to a traumatized state. She was stepping back towards the edge of the grave and shaking her head as the townspeople started to return, slipping out of their hiding places behind the trees surrounding them. She spun in a circle as she watched them surround her. "I- I- I-"

"Don't listen to them Buffy," Angel pleaded, risking touching her arm to turn her away from the two Willows and prevent her from falling back down. "She's just trying to push you back in. You need to remember why you are fighting. Remember Willow before this. Remember what she was before and she will become that. This is your mind. You can control her. She can't control you."

"I sired you Buffy," dark Willow called to her, sliding towards the edge of the grave as red Willow gasped at the information. "Do you really think you have power over-"

"Shut up," Buffy demanded and pulled her hands into fists, the people on the edge of the woods disappearing immediately. "They're right. I don't want to fight you, Willow."

"Oh, but I want to fight you."

"No. I want to apologize to you." Buffy turned to red Willow and walked to her side, hugging her quick and tight. This Willow seemed shocked, confused more than anything. Definitely the Willow Faith remembered meeting. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm going to fix you. I promise."

Just as red Willow hugged her back and whispered, "It's okay, Buffy," she started to dissolve into the air in a poof of pink. It was all very touching.

The dark Willow started to shout, "No! Not again!" The black faded from her body as red Willow started to slip into her like smoke. She tried to fight it, to push her hand out and use magic against them, but it did not work. She did not have the power. "So you took my magic. Do you really think that will stop me?!"

Willow started to run for Buffy, her fist raised and a furious expression on her face. Faith jumped and tackled her to the ground, punched her in the gut and flipped her to the side. Angel pulled Willow away and tossed her back but she tried to charge again. Buffy blocked her punch and kicked out, sending her stumbling and she fell into the grave behind with a thump.

They all cautiously edged towards her and saw her unconscious, again, lying still on Buffy's coffin.

"Just leave her," Buffy said and turned towards the other two with determination. "I'm ready to come back and help."

"Great," Faith punched her in the shoulder and nodded. "Mission accomplished. Time for celebratory shots!"

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Angel dipped his head and gestured towards the grave. Faith gagged and turned towards the woods to look for any more people slipping through the shadows. "We need to work together. If we do, we can fix this."

"I hope so," Buffy nodded, looking into Angel's eyes and that was all the nausea Faith could take. "I want to. It's good to see you again, Angel."

"Wow," Faith groaned. That nausea was only getting worse and she could feel the world around her start to spin and fade away. "I can feel you waking up. I guess I'll see you on the other side," She smiled at the two and sent a salute to Angel. "Angel."

"Faith," he nodded back and the smile on his face was the last thing she saw before everything turned to black.

With a gasp Faith opened her eyes and bolted upright in her bed. She gulped in fresh air and spun towards Buffy whose immediate action was the same.

Only, when Buffy jolted up, so did her demon. With the gasp came the flash of golden eyes and fangs slipping over her bottom lip.

Faith grabbed the stake in her back pocket and screamed, "She's awake!"


	36. Introductions

Thirsty.

That was the first thought on Buffy's mind.

Days, they told her and Faith. They had been inside her mind for days. The stones were the magic skewing up the timeline -someone was explaining it though she wasn't focused on them. Their magic kept Faith alive and well, without any need for 'hospital crap', and Buffy…well she was dead, wasn't she?

Of course, once the harsh bite of consciousness sunk in, so did the hunger. Faith downed the water bottle she was given, dripping it all over the bed and her clothes. Buffy sat back and watched the water slip down Faith's neck, sliding around the pulses of blood beating against her neck.

_Thump. Thump._

The thumping did not stop with her. There was more of it in the room, more humans, alive and pounding away. She bit her lip and turned to the door but there was thumping beyond that as well. Actually, there was a lot more commotion than she remembered. Maybe they moved house. She didn't recognize this room and there was so much more thumping. Hearts beating fast and slow, rushing with that sweet, red and thick –oh god she needed to stop.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on finding Angel. Working together. That was their theme from the dream state -just as cheesy as an after-school special. Only, after-school specials probably didn't have terrifying witches coming to kill you. Or maybe they did….it had been so long since she watched TV. Forever since her last cartoon.

Wesley's voice faintly resonated past the pounding in her ears and she rushed to say, "I'm fine." Though, by the expression on his face, that was not the question he was asking. Apparently, he hadn't even been talking to her.

Now everyone was looking at her. Glaring, actually. Their eyes were boring and their frowns were filled with hatred. That's when she realized the face she wore. The humans probably didn't appreciate the vampire fangs. Especially not when she could so easily lash out and drink one –or all- of them whole. By their pinky finger. Or maybe their shoulder. She did like chomping down on a nice beefy shoulder…

Nope. Those were the bad thoughts. Bad Buffy.

She slipped her face back into place and looked around the room. Faith was glaring, nothing new there. Wesley looked concerned and watchery. Xander looked angry, and kind of mountainy –he hadn't shaved in a while. And Cordy…she was awake.

The thumping and rushing and pain in her throat all seemed to dissipate at the sight of Cordelia. Her eyes were open and the only sound that mattered was the slow beating of her heart. _Thump...Thump..._ The monitor proved it too but it was nothing compared to hearing it with her own ears.

Cordy didn't look good really. Not in the slightest. Her eyes were glazed, there were scars on her neck, and she looked paler than ever before. But she was awake and that was all that mattered.

Buffy suddenly felt a hand pushing into her shoulder and sharply forcing her down into the bed. She growled and went to slap it away but Faith strengthened her grip and growled, "Oh no you don't." The long silver knife that popped out of Faith's pocket was the only thing that stopped Buffy from pushing.

It took the loud and quickened pings of the heart monitor for Buffy to realize what it must have looked like. Thirsty vampire running to the girl she torched for weeks on end. Yup. Not the smartest move she's ever made.

Buffy submitted, Faith rolled off, and she lifted her eyes to Wesley, "How is she?"

"Better," Wesley nodded.

"Can I see her?"

"I'm not sure that would be best," Wesley trailed off in his usual manner and dropped his voice to a whisper so only she could hear. "She only regained consciousness a day ago. We have explained everything that has happened but it is a lot to take in. One mistake, one fright too much, and she could-"

"I'm right here you know," came the croaky cry of Cordelia. Though quiet, the attitude alone was enough to make Buffy feel comforted. And, though it was hard to explain, she knew Angel felt better as well. "If you're going to whisper about me at least have the decency to wait until you're out of the room. Or speak up."

Wesley looked at the floor in shame and walked over to her, checking the tubes and wires poking out under her blanket, only missing the lab coat to look like a real doctor. "I apologize. I just want you to get well again." He smiled at her until she gave the tiniest grin back. Then he spun back to the vampire in the room. "Buffy, you need blood. Faith and Cordy used most of ours in their transfusions but there are still some bags-"

"No!" Buffy could hear the mutual _thumps_ at her scream.

"Buffy," there was that watcher tone, "-you haven't had a drop in days. Since the addition of Angel's soul if I am correct. And while vampires can survive without it, you have just recently fallen into a state of delirium and it would be best if you did not return. The best thing for you to do now is to take care of yourself so you can return to fighting condition and help us. That is what you want, isn't it?" That sounded like a trick question. "You must be rather thirsty."

Dammit, she was thirsty. Of course she was. Him talking about it was not helping the vivid images of using him for her own personal blood transfusion -but again, bad thoughts, bad bad thoughts.

"No human blood," Buffy demanded, though her mouth watered and her voice caught. "I'll take pigs if you have it but I won't…no more. Please."

Wesley frowned, "You will have to drink more pig's blood to return to full strength. And we don't have much."

"Please." She would go into full pout mode if she needed to.

Before she could, Wesley gave a short nod in understanding and left.

Buffy was surprised at the amount of pure noise that flooded in when the door to the stairs opened. Now that she knew blood was on the way, it was more than just the thumping of hearts distracting her. Clashing, cluttering, mumbling, laughing, yelling. It was hard to pick Wesley out of the crowd. What were all those sounds? Who was down there?

It couldn't be the voices of victims past. Could it? No, those were gone. Not a glimmer of Dawn or Willow or Giles anywhere. But what if Angel was still clinging onto a few? What if they hadn't rid them all from her mind? What if-

"Holy shit," Faith heard the sounds too. Definitely not in her head then. "Is the circus in town?"

"Something like it," Xander scoffed.

There was a very tense silence that filled the small space until Faith did what Faith does and broke it by jumping out of bed and obnoxiously stating, "Well, as much fun as this is, I gotta pee like a horse. You got her?" She asked Xander while nodding to Buffy.

"Yeah," he raised a stake from behind Cordy's leg, "I got her."

There was another bout of awkward silence. Xander glared and Buffy tried not to notice.

"Well," Cordy sighed quietly. "This isn't uncomfortable at all."

Luckily, Wesley came bounding back through the door with a thermos in his hand and handed it over to her. The cap kept the smell inside but as soon as she opened the slot she could feel her stomach reeling at the memory. And there was no Spike there to make it taste better with secret spices. No Spike to hold and distract her as she ignored the burn the humans caused. No Spike to dip it into her slow and let her suck the blood from his palm. No Spike at all.

She gagged through her first gulp but could not refuse the relief at the scratching. Everything coated her insides nicely and she felt like she could breathe –even if she had no need to. "Oh god, this- ugh- this is so gross."

Xander snickered at the faces and sounds she made. She took another few sips but she could only get through half the bottle before she needed to stop.

Cordy pulled a face and looked back at the ceiling, "I'm gonna hurl."

"Me too," Buffy muttered and bit her lip. One fang fell slightly and she concentrated on the small pain of it pushing against her skin. Anything but the pure nausea.

"We have a few more bottles worth." Wesley didn't look nearly as affected. "I can stop and get more on our next run."

"Which should be soon," Xander said. "They're vultures down there. And Andy started to notice his food going missing."

"Well, Andrew should realize demons are not going to care about labels. The do not respect personal boundaries."

"Oh, uh- no. That was me," Xander smiled shyly and held up a bag of pretzels with the name Andrew scrawled over the logo in thick black sharpie. "But yeah, tell him the demon thing."

"Alright," Wesley sighed, clearly overworked. "Come tell me what we need. I'll make a list for Gunn and Rondell. Or maybe I'll go with Rondell. No need for those two to get distracted. And Buffy," Buffy looked between the two as Xander got up. She was beyond completely confused. Andrew? Rondell? "Stay here. Keep an eye on Cordelia. Don't come out until I tell you."

"Wait," Xander mumbled around his latest bite. "We're leaving her here? Alone?"

"I'll send Amy to finish the spell in this room. Will that make you feel better?"

"No."

"Too bad. Let's go." Xander was about to argue again but Wesley gripped him tight and forced him out the door. "It will be fine. I promise."

Just like that, they were gone and Buffy was stuck staring at the place they had been with her head tilted to the side and her ear towards the floor, trying to make out what was happening below. "What just happened?"

Cordelia did not answer her.

The next person to walk through the door was slightly familiar but still a distant face. The smell of power rolled off her and her friends but it wasn't until she spoke that Buffy realized who it was.

"Amy? Amy Madison?"

"Hey, Buffy."

Yup, it was Amy Madison. The girl who was Willow's pet rat for years. Buffy didn't know the girls surrounding her but she sure remembered who Amy was.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were-"

"A rat?" Amy frowned and turned to her. It was then that she could see the burn scars lining her left cheek and crawling down her neck, chest, and arm. "Yeah, I was. Then I wasn't. There were so many reversal spells from the hellmouth being open that one must have hit me."

"Wow."

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I tried to go home but it wasn't really there anymore. Mowed down by demons. Tried the school but apparently something happened there. Then I found a coven. This is Lucy and Beth," the girls with her waved. "We were gonna go to Canada or somewhere safe but then we got a random call to help save the world or whatever. They wanted magic and we have nothing better to do. None of us have homes so…what about you? Xander made it seem like you were-"

"Evil?" Buffy sighed. "Yup. It's complicated."

Amy smirked, "I should have just said that."

"Are you doing a spell now?" Buffy gestured towards them all. "Wesley said something like that."

"Yup. His friend Lawson or Lauren…or was it Luke?"

"Lorne?" Buffy wasn't even sure how she knew that name.

Amy snapped her fingers, "That's it. He gave us a spell to prevent violence in the house."

"We need it when it's this crowded," Lucy added. "I was about to turn that guy with the baseball cap into a pig. If it wasn't for the spell, I would have."

"Seriously. Too bad it can't block body order," Beth laughed. "That demon with all the mop hair has some serious BO."

Apparently that was really funny but Buffy didn't ask them to explain. They moved into a circle and did what they came to do, finished a spell that Buffy still wasn't sure she understood, and left to add onto Wesley 's grocery list.

The last thing Buffy heard Amy mumble was, "I'm seriously craving cheese."

Then it was just her and Cordy. And Cordy was not talking.

At all.

It was weird, Cordelia Chase not talking.

Then suddenly- "Shut up, Buffy."

"I didn't-"

"I know you didn't say anything but I can hear you wanting to say something from here. So shut up."

"But-"

Cordy held up a hand in warning as she struggled to sit up on her pillows better. It took a lot of small grunts and popping of joints that made Buffy cringe to hear, but she managed to prop herself up enough to face her. Buffy stayed sitting on her bed though her legs pressed against the one between them.

"I already know what you're going to say." Cordy continued, "You don't need to. I've played this game before with Angel. You're sorry for what you did, you wish you could take it back, but you can't. Alright? You can't. It's done. You weren't you and you're still not you. And I can't forgive you Buffy cus that's not you inside there. That's Angel inside of you. That's Angel feeling guilty and sorry. So you can tell him that I forgive him. But I don't want to hear a word about how bad you feel, Ms. Queen of the Damned."

Buffy pulled at the blankets below her and pushed at the weight that sunk on her chest. She didn't expect Cordy to forgive her but she still needed to say it. "I am though. Sorr-"

"No!" The strength behind that snap made Buffy jump. "Just no. Shut up. It's not-" Cordy shook her head against the tears. "It's because of you that I'm never going to see Angel again. That the world will never… So I don't want…just stop talking."

The silence returned as Cordy stared at her lap and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. Buffy waited for her heart to calm and when the beeping and thumping returned to an acceptable pace she gently whispered, "He's here, you know. Angel. He can hear you."

That grabbed Cordy's interest. "He can?"

"Yes." Though, to be honest, Buffy wasn't really sure if he could. She felt him there. Whether he was conscious or not was unclear. They didn't get to talk much in her head but there were things she knew, he knew. That must have meant he was there somehow. "But he doesn't know what Angelus has done. He only has my memories since I…since he changed."

Cordy was unreadable for a moment, stock-still and barely blinking. Then she nodded slowly and sunk into her pillows. "Good. Good, don't tell him."

"He already knows what I-"

"What you know sure. But you don't know what Angelus...there's more Angelus did. He could have been lying when he said he didn't tell you but...I don't want to talk about it. So don't ask."

Buffy nodded but she didn't entirely understand why. Angel would be able to come to his own conclusions. He wasn't an idiot, it was his other half after all, and context clues were abundant. He knew how horrible Angelus truly was. Plus, he was stuck in her body. It wasn't as though he could say anything.

But if that's what Cordy wanted…it's what she would get.

"I might be able to get him back," Buffy said cautiously. "After this is done we can put his soul back."

Cordy shook her head, apparently having already thought of or discussed it already. "You'll go evil."

"We'll figure something else out." Or Faith would stake her and end all the world's problems.

Cordy didn't look so sure. "He doesn't remember. If he goes back in his body…he will. And…it was his face." She closed her eyes and her knuckles turned even whiter as she locked her hands together. "His face looking at me and saying those words and doing those things. I just kept waiting for it to change. You know? Into someone else. We talk like their two different people but their faces are the same. He used to play with me like that. Pretend Angel came back to rescue me. I know it wasn't him but how can I…How can I see that face and trust him like I used to? I know. I know this has happened before, but not like this. All I can remember is his face, his voice and…Nothing will be the same. They won't be two people anymore…Oh god, why am I even talking to you?"

Buffy slowly hoisted her leg onto the middle bed and crawled to the edge, still far enough away but closer than before. "Because I'm Angel. And Angelus…Angelus is not Angel. I've felt how you do. I remember not knowing if I could ever trust Angel again but he's different. You know he is. And even though Angelus has done horrible things, I still love Angel. Maybe not like I used to but I can look past his other half. You can too. If you're up for it. I mean, you're talking to me right? Angel is in here but he's got my face and my face has done some pretty bad things. Kinda the same thing if you think about it. Well, don't think about it too hard."

"Even if we could…" Cordy gulped and shook her head. "I don't think he'd want to see me. If he remembers…I don't think I can handle that. He'll hate me."

"Angel could never hate you."

"I don't think I'll even make it to…" Her hands started to shake and she threw them to the bed, whipping the IV chords with her. She yelled in frustration, "I hate hospitals!"

Buffy frowned and slipped a hand over her fingers, cradling against the back of her medical tube and giving her a squeeze.

"Ummm…Buffy?" Cordy's attitude was quickly back. "Why are you holding my hand? Cus maybe you and Willow tried things when you had no soul to hold you back but-"

"Sorry." She said but she didn't let go. "It's just…You're dying."

"Wasn't that obvious?"

"I don't mean this," Buffy gestured to the monitors. "The visions. I saw you after the last one and…The visions are killing you."

"You know?" Cordy gasped and sunk back again. "Of course you do. Angel knows now too then. Don't tell the others."

Buffy frowned, "They know too."

"Great. More problems for them to fix. Surprised I haven't gotten the intervention yet. Are they waiting till I can walk on my own again?"

"No. I'm sure Gunn will bring the cake in here." Cordy cracked a smile and that was enough for Buffy to be content. She patted her hand and sat back. "Go to sleep. I'll just…do something. Maybe brood for a bit. That seems like something I'm supposed to do."

Cordy smirked as Buffy started to sit back but the smile was gone too soon, and she was frowning at the ceiling again. "Angel isn't coming back."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. The Angel that returns to Angelus' body will not be my Angel. That Angel will never come back. Once he leaves you, he's gone for good. I don't want that. I don't want him to be stuck either, but I don't want that. Angelus…Angelus has caused so much pain for him. I know what I have to do."

Buffy studied the tear that fell from Cordy's cheek. She didn't know what she meant. She sounded delirious. They were giving her painkillers after all. "What do you have to do?"

"I have to sleep," Cordy whispered.

Buffy frowned but didn't ask for more information. Cordelia looked far too tired for questioning. "Then do."

"I don't want to slee…" She faded quickly.

Buffy could feel the rest of her fading too.

It was a few hours before Xander came to collect her. She wasn't even sure what time it really was, night or day. There was no window or clock. She had been staring at a medical book for entertainment and that was seriously not entertaining. She had tried to listen to the conversations downstairs but they were mostly about hogging the remote or eating too many pizza slices. Nothing she could be a part of. She would go down there if she wasn't trying to gain more trust.

Then there was Cordy. Nothing she said seemed to make sense. It was hard to figure out her meaning and staring at her sleeping wasn't giving any answers. It concerned her that she felt so, well, concerned about it. Buffy never was close with her. Maybe it was the guilt she felt for kidnapping her, or the pain of seeing her so close to death, or maybe it was something more. She felt responsible, that was for sure.

Then she started chipping at the rest of her nail polish, a habit she picked up from someone with a very bad influence. Then came the hours of wondering where he was and how he was doing. Then came Dawn. It was very good brooding on her part.

Cordy was still sleeping when Xander checked on her. Her heart was thumping and she was breathing but other than that she looked pretty dead.

"You and I need to talk," Xander said when he turned back to her.

"If this is the step out of line and I'll kill you speech, Faith already beat you to the punch. Literally, actually."

Xander didn't even crack a smile. It was so very unlike him. But he didn't look himself so it was fitting.

He trapped her onto the middle bed and started his well prepared speech. "I know I've always been Xander. Goofy Xander. Wisecracking Xander. Screw up Xander. Only good for a laugh, no use in a fight Xander. But I made a promise that I would fix this. To Giles." He cleared his throat and looked away from her to collect himself. "Giles' dead body. I sat next to him all night to make sure he wouldn't turn out like you. And I promised his corpse that I would fix this. No matter what."

He seemed lost in his thoughts and she let him stay there for a moment. It was Giles after all. He deserved a moment of respect.

"And we will," she said. "We will fix it. It's just the end of the world, right?"

"Another Friday night for the Scoobies." He did smirk at that but it was quickly gone. "But are you one of us or one of them? Whose side are you on?"

"I'm going to fix this."

"Not good enough. We already saw you couldn't kill your boy toy and that's just Spike. What if Dawn tries to kill someone? Tries to kill you or me or Wesley or Gunn? Are you gonna be able to stick that stake in her heart?"

Buffy snarled on instinct, "Are you?"

Xander wasn't startled, only driven. "She didn't choose her side but I chose mine. And she is not on it."

"You're just saying that cus she killed Anya."

"No, Buffy. I'm really not." He glared and let that truth sink in. "So, if you're on our side, be on our side and come downstairs and meet the team. But we can't afford to worry about what you're going to do, if you're going to flip. We have enough to worry about," he added looking at Cordy.

Buffy realized what was so different about him. Not only was he harder on the inside but it was clear outside as well.

His laugh lines couldn't have faded but they seemed to. The bags under his eyes were darker than ever and the look in them made him seem distant. As if he wasn't truly there. As if he were going through the motions. As if he were the corpse forced back to life.

"You seem older."

"I am."

"I'm sorry," she could at least get one of those out.

"I know." He gave her a tight smile and pointed towards the door. "Come on. We got Doritos and pig's blood. Can't skip out on that appetizing combo."

The house was the same house and it was packed. Door to door and wall to wall, packed. How could that many people even fit? All of the sounds made her head hurt and her throat ache. She needed to drink more of that awful blood from her thermos just to walk straight.

"Give it back!" Johnathan Levinson yelled on the couch, scrambling for what looked to be a box of wings. She hadn't seen him in a while.

"No! They're mine! I wanted mild! You got the hot ones!" That was…she couldn't remember who that blonde boy was but he was holding the wings from his body and slapping Johnathan away.

"Would you two stop?!" Warren Mears shouted and snatched the wings from the other kid…still couldn't remember his name.

That kid and Johnathan both slinked back into the chair and mumbled behind sodas taking turns with, "He started it" and "Not my fault."

Rushing in front of them was Faith who stole a wing without them noticing and munched on it as she flipped the remote out of someone's hand. Buffy couldn't recognize the boy but Gunn was slapping his shoulder and stealing the remote back saying, "Don't let her push you around, Rondell. And hey, did you check up on Anne and her kids like I asked?"

Rondell laughed at him but whatever he said was mushed into the madness when a random demon walked in front, stinking up a storm from under long brown hair that covered every inch of his bulgy body. Wow, the witches were right. BO alert. And it was even worse with her vampireness. She needed another gulp just not to throw up.

There were a lot of random demons filling the halls besides him. They all came in different shapes and sizes, some small, some menacing, some humanoid, some not. She was just about to search for Wes to ask what was going on with that when she smelled something that made her skin crawl worse than the BO. She peeked behind the hairy demon and saw, "Oz?"

"Buffy," Oz greeted with a small wave from his chair. "I heard you got fangs."

She laughed and nodded. "I heard you can control your wolf."

"Pretty much yeah."

"What are-"

She was cut off by Amy, Lucy, and Beth walking in front of her and munching on what looked to be cheese and crackers. They were cackling away about something Lucy said and walked to a group of males huddled in the opposite corner who smiled when they arrived. The group was mixed with boys and adults, ranging from worn sneakers and caps to black outfits and military precise crew cuts. In fact, that guy kinda looked like Graham Miller. Wasn't that Riley's friend?

Speak of the devil, she turned around and saw him standing there, leaning against the counter in the kitchen with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Riley?"

"Buffy?"

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled an easy smile, though she knew he felt no relaxation with all the demons. "Same reason as everyone else. Here to save the world. Oh, here." He gestured to someone behind her and held out an arm. "Let me introduce you. This is my fiancé, Sam."

"Nice to meet you."

Buffy turned to the friendly voice and forced a smile. She was pretty. Very pretty. She took the woman's hand just as she realized what he said. "Sam? Your fiancé? Fiancé? As in down on one knee, ring and all, do you take this man, fiancé?"

"Yup," Sam giggled, and turned her wrist to show off the ring, still holding Buffy's other hand. "That'd be me. I'm so excited to meet you. They slayer. Wow. I wish it was under better circumstances. I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"Yeah," Buffy breathed out a laugh and whipped her hand back so hard that it actually pulled Sam a step in her direction. "Well, some people garden and some people rise from the dead a vampire."

"Hm," Riley grunted.

"I have to um-" She lamely gestured behind her and headed for the door to the basement, hoping she could take a moment to breathe.

All the noises were making her head worse and really? A fiancé? He was her age! Okay, a little older, but still. They had only broken up…alright it was a while ago. But not enough time for a fiancé surely. She hadn't had a single date since then. Well there was Ben but not really. Probably because she was saving the world and her sister from Glory/Ben and then the whole dead thing happened. Well, then there was Spike and Spike was…complicated.

"Oh, you can't go in there." A demon girl shook her head when she reached for the handle. Her face looked more muscles than flesh. Much like how Anya looked when she was a vengeance demon. And there came the guilt. Was this girl…oh it didn't matter.

"Why not?"

"There's some snake demon shedding or molting or whatever. It's hella nasty."

"I can't even go to my own room?" Not that it was her room. But where else could she go? Was it sunny out? She would have to see and- "Oops." She bumped into someone behind her and turned to see a giant demon with skin that looked like bark with muscles the size of a hams. "Sorry, I-"

"Watch where you're going," the demon snapped and pushed her chest but due to the magic in the air it only sent him flying back –directly into the demon girl by the door.

"Hey!" She yelled and pushed him away but missed and pushed a human beside her. The human yelled as he stumbled into someone else and the spell had them pinball from person to person.

"Stop it!" Someone shouted.

"None of that even works!" Someone else shouted when someone threw a punch.

Buffy had enough. She ran back into the kitchen, jumped on the table and screamed. "Everyone shut up!" Whether it was the scream or her vampire face or the power of the slayer/vampire combo, everyone did what she asked. She found the person she was looking for, pointed to Wesley in the tense silence and demanded, "First, explain why everyone is here. Then who they are. Then what the hell is going on!"

"Ah. Yes. Well. I was hoping to talk to you sooner. I was going to get you myself. Um. Why. Right. Well." Wesley didn't do well in front of crowds. "They are here to fight for our cause. They are demons and humans and vampires alike all ready to put their lives on the line in order to put the world back to the way it was."

"Yeah," a random demon agreed with a fist in the air. He was a vampire, Buffy could tell. "We liked things better before the Black Witch arrived."

"Her dogs are mucking everything up!" A demon called.

"She wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the slayer!" The demon Buffy bumped into yelled.

"Is it true?" A human wearing the black-ops uniform and crew cut asked. "Are you the slayer and a vampire?"

"Ugh," Faith raised her hand. "She's one of the slayers. As in more than one."

"So it's your fault!" Another human yelled from the front.

"Let us not discuss fault," Wesley cut in. "What matters now is setting things right. We are here to work together to fight Willow –or, ugh- the Black Witch and close the hellmouths again. And that is despite our pasts. We can all go back to hating each other after this nightmare is over."

"Does that mean we gotta listen to her?" That bark vampire really didn't like her.

"Yes it does," Riley stepped forward with his arms crossed and his gun on display over his chest. "And anyone with a problem with that can go through me."

"And me." Sam stepped up to her fiancé's side and nodded.

"And me," Oz said with a smile and stood from his chair.

"Me too," said a random vampire that Buffy was sure she had never met before. Her recognition somehow touched her. She wasn't sure if it was out of fear or the need to get back to the way things were or a lie but she nodded and smiled when more vampires agreed with a cheer.

"And us!" Gunn added, waving his crossbow in the air. Wesley nodded and Buffy looked to Xander. He said nothing but gave her a small nod and that was all she needed.

"Alright class," Buffy smiled to everyone and took a sip from her thermos, making many of the vampires reel in disgust. "Introductions. I'd like to know who you all are. Name, rank, and what you can do. Or something like that. Who's first?" She looked around and found the room deadly silent. Hesitantly, the blonde boy formerly with the chicken wings slowly raised his hand into the air. "Yes, you."

"Um- I'm Andrew." He waved awkwardly and shifted multiple times in his seat. "Andrew Wells. We actually went to high school together."

"Ummmm….." Buffy squinted. Nope. Still had no clue.

"He's Tucker's little brother," Warren provided.

"Oh!" Buffy pointed at him and nodded. "Right, Tucker. Okay Andrew, go on."

"Right. Well I'm human and I can conjure demons but there doesn't seem to be a point with so many around. Oh, hello." His voice squeaked when he looked behind him and saw a glowing red demon glaring down at him. "Wow, you are really close there. Really red. Flaming red. Real race car-"

"Andrew," Johnathan hit him in the side and he jumped.

"Right! But I'm good at other spells. I can help the witches."

"Good. Next?"

"Oz," he nodded from his chair. "Werewolf. I bite things."

The introductions rolled on from there. It took quite a while to get through everyone.

There were Sunnydale residents and those just outside of town who had not yet left hope after escaping the demons and the Black Witch and her vampire army.

Demons ready to take back their way of living without having to pick a side or listen to someone for orders with the alternative option being death. Some of those demons were vengeance demons, sent by D'Hoffryn in order to get the world back in order with people living so they could make wishes. Some came in packs like those. And most came without being told, looking for a fight on top of everything else.

Vampires who were first loyal to Buffy, ran away after Angelus took over, and sought to follow her again. Vampires who just wanted to go back, even if it meant following a slayer.

There were former members of the Initiative looking to do the right thing and kill some hostiles along the way.

There was Gunn's old gang from LA who would do anything to get and keep their streets safe again.

Then, of course, there was the witch coven and more called by Wesley or others down the phone tree chain looking for volunteers. Warren, Johnathan, and Andrew were all a bit of a surprise, no one knew who called them, but they all had their uses. Warren even had some robots lined up for battle.

When everyone had a turn, Buffy wasn't quite sure what to make of it. In all honesty they should be killing each other. The 'good' and the 'bad' all jam packed into one tiny space, led by a slayer packed in with another's soul in a demon's body.

She wasn't really leading though, was she? This was not arranged by her. She didn't plan this. She had been out cold for days. She had done nothing to help.

"Looks like you got everything worked out Gile- Wes." She shook her head and picked at the top of her thermos. "Wesley."

The silence following her slip of the tongue broke by the creak of a step. Everyone snapped to the stairs where they could see Cordy fighting her way down through the crowd of people loitering there, wrapped up in her hospital blanket with marks to show where she ripped the wires off. "Cordelia Chase. Human. Vision plaything for the Powers That Be. And I have a point to make."

"Cordy," Wesley quick shuffled to her and picked up her arm, helping her lean on him. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"You're not coming." Buffy stated strongly, jumping down from the table at last.

"Yes I am. And do you know why?" She pushed off Wesley and glared on her own two feet. "I'm hanging on by a thread, yes even I can admit that. But I need to see this through. Before I…Angelus has hurt enough people. I'm going to make sure he is stopped. One way or another."

"Cordelia, please." Wesley tried to grab her arm again.

"We're on our own here right?" Cordy started to talk to the room. "The Powers That Be aren't stepping in. But I'm connected. Maybe they can see through me. Maybe they'll come. Maybe not. Either way we need all the help we can get."

"You can barely stand."

"I stand just fine thank you. And I am good with a sword. Angel was teaching me. Said he would anyway. So, I'm fighting. End of story. I'll even keep someone with me. Tara can-" Cordy spun as quick as she could. "Where is Tara?"

Wesley, Gunn, and Xander all shared frowns but Oz was the one to say, "She's gone. She said she was going to fix Willow. Then she disappeared. No one knows where she is."

"Speaking of Willow," Amy piped up in the immediate silence. "So she's super powerful now right? How exactly are we supposed to beat her when she's has so much dark mojo?"

There was a great chatter among everyone in the room. Apparently Willow was the talk of the town. Buffy was the one to make her into what she was and start this whole thing but if they wanted to talk about the Big Bad Black Witch, that was fine. They all had their theories about capture and Beastraki but she had the answer.

"I think I know." Everyone silenced and turned to her. "Willow sired me. We're connected. I can feel it. She can, even Tara could. I would rather not kill her if-" That caused a great roar of argument. "BUT I WILL!" She screamed and the yelling stopped as hers continued. "The Beastraki are dangerous and they are hard to control. There's no telling if we can take them from her in the first place and if we do that whistle will sever any chance at control completely." She paused and whispered to Gunn, "Right?" They had talked about it but she hadn't seen it work. He nodded and she went on. "Right. In order to get close enough to her, we use me. Willow was in my head when I was out of it. She tried to attack me and I think we can fight her back. If not out there, then in here." She pointed to her noggin and waited for someone else to argue. Which they did, of course.

"Are you joking?" It was Warren shaking his head. "We're not going to kill her?"

"He's right," Amy nodded in his direction and he smiled at her. "Seems kind of stupid not to kill her."

"Wait," Riley was halfway to raising his hand. "I'm confused. She was in your head? How?"

"I don't know," Buffy confessed. "But Faith was there with these magic rock thingys. If we knock Willow out and put it in her hand then I can go in and stop her."

"In her mind, not yours?" Riley clarified.

"Yes."

"By yourself."

"Well…I don't know. Wes, would Angel follow me in?"

"I can't say for sure." Wesley said behind a hand as he dragged it over his head. "You and Angel won't have control as you did in your mind. The better option would be to enter your own but I fail to see that happening. I'm not actually sure what you plan to get from this. That is if we are able to do it, you don't want to kill her, what do you plan to do?"

"Lock her in. I was trapped in my head, if we can trap her in hers, she'll be stuck and won't be able to do anything."

"If you manage to do that, and that is a big if, then you may get stuck right along side her. You may not be able to leave."

Oz cut in, "What does that mean for Willow? What will happen to her?"

Wesley frowned and answered, "She would be nothing but a vegetable, for lack of a better term." He turned to Buffy and ignored the claps of joy from some of the members in the room. "What would be the point of being stuck inside her?"

"To buy you guys time to put everything back," Buffy answered, "-and to find her soul."

"Buffy…" Wesley sighed. "Willow has been using very powerful and very dark magic. It leaves a mark. Even with her soul, she may not be the same girl she once was."

"We have to try."

"Yeah, we do." Xander smiled tightly.

"I see your logic," Wesley went on. "I just don't have very high hopes for it."

"And what'll happen if they can't find her soul?" Riley caught on. "Will you be stuck in her head forever?"

"Can you guys talk logistics later?" Faith complained. "You're boring us with your fall on your sword junk."

"I think we're done talking logistics." Buffy said sternly, turning to the others. "I'm doing this. Willow was my creation and I have to be the one to put it right. I did all of this, you have to let me fix it. You guys can take care of everything else, let me take care of her. Willow is only getting stronger. We found a weakness; we have to take it and strike. What more do we need? We have our weapons, we have our army, we know our enemy. It's time we act."

"We need time Buffy," Wesley said. "We don't have a plan for attack."

"So we'll make one now. We don't have time for her to come to us. People are dying every day. Let's stop that now and put the world back right. We can do this. Together. Tomorrow. On our terms. Who's with me?"

The silence was deafening.

Then, just as before, the cheers and affirmations rolled slowly through the room until all had given some form of consent –whether it was boastful or painfully withdrawn.

* * *

Angelus' cell phone rang on the table. He had left it behind. Oh well. The ringing was irritating but not nearly as irritating as he would be if she destroyed it.

Willow flipped it open and greeted with as much boredom as she felt until she heard Buffy say her name. "Buffy? So good to hear your voice." She giggled, "I've been dreaming about you."

"Well you won't have to dream anymore. We're finishing this. Tomorrow night, sunset, the dessert outside town. Meet at the place between the two mountains."

"And what do I get out of meeting you? The last defenders of Earth. The one who caused it all, PTSD suffering Scoobies, a deadbeat watcher, and a couple of miscreants. I'll crush you into so many tiny pieces."

"That's not enough?"

Willow growled, "I want Tara."

"She'll be there."

"Then so will we." She clipped the phone shut and stood as she heard footsteps approach from behind. "We're gonna kill a slayer."

"About time," Spike said enthusiastically.

"That's the spirit, Spikey!" Angelus cheered and she could see him messing up Spike's hair from the corner of her eye. "Hell, let's kill two."

"Alright boys," Willow spun on her heels and smiled. Her black eyes hid the faded gold that flashed and her fangs sunk into position as her new demon form took place. "Let's have some fun."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be adding a chapter after the story is over for Author's Notes. Which is where I can answer guests and other questions. So if you still have questions at the end, I will answer them all. The other stuff is mostly for me but if you wanted to read things about this piece, fun facts and reasoning, that's the place to do it. And there is also an announcement about further chapters which I will put at the top.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	37. Prepare for Battle (Part 1)

They were on their way. Buffy couldn't believe the nightmare her life had turned into.

Where would she be now if it had gone differently?

Dead, sure, but what if she came back human? Would she still be fighting for the safety of the world, again?

Probably.

She had just finished arguing with Cordy for the umpteenth time that she was to stay in the car and was now having her ear chewed off by Wesley who went over the battle plans again. Also for the umpteenth time. She already knew what they were doing and how they were going to do it. At least, she did on paper.

All these people together, away from the no-violence spell of the house was nerve-racking. They liked to fight with each other constantly and she already had to break apart a few fights, one spilling some blood.

This was it. This was her army.

She gulped another few tolerable swallows of pig's blood and gave the necessary smiles and nods. There wasn't much else to be done. She had already given enough cheesy inspirational speeches that even she wasn't sure she believed in. That was all she could do.

Hidden under a blanket, she stayed away from the last bits of sun leaving the sky. When she popped up they were there and she had more work to do. She pulled the pink ribbon from her pocket and tied back her hair, forced the last of the pig's blood down her throat, and prepared for battle.

Everyone was full of nerves as they set up and waited. Anyone that tried to talk was promptly hushed by the person or demon next to them, usually with a smack across the head.

Buffy was first to hear them coming. The sounds of large padded feet from three Beastraki galloping towards them was the warning. Soon everyone could see them.

Willow sat atop her beast's middle head, leading the pack behind. Angelus sat atop another, complaining about it by the looks of him. Spike sat on the third, Dawn sitting on the head to the right of him. Following this trio of hellhounds were countless numbers of vampires and demons. Willow had obviously been busy since Buffy was away. The army of the undead had definitely grown.

Willow jumped –floated, actually- to the ground and took in Buffy's side. There she could see Buffy with Wesley on one side and Faith on the other. Xander and Gunn were standing behind.

Willow smiled and ignored the cries of Spike and Angelus behind her, both complaining about getting off the giant dogs.

"Buffy," Willow greeted with a warm smile but when she tilted her head to the side, it started to shift. Her face pulled together and her fangs dropped over her bottom lip.

Buffy gasped and Wesley squeaked, "You're a vampire."

"Come on guys," Willow sang, "I'm still the Willow you know and love."

"I heard you're called the Black Witch now." Buffy said. Wesley was touching her arm, trying to pull her back and she thought she knew why. They had talked about the possibility of Willow becoming part demon before. She didn't look sick anymore. She looked powerful.

"That too."

"But you'll always be little Red to me," Angelus smirked as he sauntered up to her side.

"Yes," Willow frowned and turned to Buffy. "Angelus won't let that go so I put this here to shut him up." She pointed to the red ribbon tying back her hair and laughed as she pointed at Buffy's pink. "Oh look, we match! Same ribbon, same teeth."

"Same incessant need to chatter on before a fight," Spike mumbled, coming up with Dawn on his side.

Buffy looked at him but her eyes quickly shifted away. She tried to look back at Dawn but she was pouting and glaring at the ground. It was probably best if she didn't linger on either of them. She didn't want to think about it too much.

Faith broke the moment of silence, though it didn't last as long as Buffy thought it did.

"You're one to talk," Faith turned to the other vamps. "Angelus can't get one kill in without writing a novel."

"And for you Faithy," he licked his lips, "I'll write a book of poetry."

"Ew," Dawn scoffed from her corner.

"You said it, brat." Faith nodded.

"I see your army of," Willow stood on her toes and counted, "one-two-three-four-five. Five. But where is Tara?"

"And Cordy," Angelus added. "Or did she keel over on the way home. She was in pretty rough shape. Should be after the round of hardcore fuck-"

"Shut it!" Xander yelled.

"What's the matter, Xander? Was she too loose for you? After Anya, I thought you'd be use to that."

Gunn held out his arm and stopped Xander from running forward.

"Don't let him get to you, Xander," Wesley warned.

"Yeah, don't piss off the whelp, Angelus." Spike smirked at the furious boy. "He's got a pointy stick."

"That's coming right for you," Xander said.

"Please," Dawn laughed. "Have you ever even staked a vampire before? You'll be lucky to scratch us."

"You'll be lucky if you live long enough for him to scratch you," Gunn said and Buffy forced herself to hold her tongue.

"Why does that still feel like an insult?" Xander asked aloud.

"You'll be luckier if I don't take my time killing you," Dawn yelled.

"Dawn, stop it." Buffy ordered. "Gunn, shut up."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "I'm not listening to you."

At the same time Gunn mumbled, "Telling me to shut up."

"Are we going to do this or what?" Buffy yelled to the others.

"Depends, Buffy." Willow snapped at her. "Where is she?"

"She's your girlfriend. Shouldn't you know?"

"That was your plan? Lead me out here just to make me mad? You should know Buffy, that was a very bad idea." Willow's hands flipped out and lightening crackled between her fingertips, spurting towards the sand on the ground.

"Yeah," Buffy yelled over the chatter from the vampire army and the barks from the Beastraki above. "I heard I'm full of those. But you know what else I'm full of?"

"I think I can answer that," Angelus cheered.

Faith snorted, "Bad phrasing, B."

"Fine." Buffy frowned and rolled her eyes. "What I have are friends. Friends who will help me through anything. Friends that will always support me. Friends that will fight impossible odds with me. Friends who have friends just like these!"

Buffy signaled and the rest of their army crawled out of their hiding places. They were hidden by the mountain behind, with the wind swiping away their sent and hiding the sound of their beating hearts.

"Oz?" Willow whispered aloud when she saw him coming towards the clearing but shook her head before anyone could answer her. "Too bad your friends are going to die with you!"

On a silent command the Beastraki started to bark and charge. The vampire army was soon to follow behind. Gunn yelled for his group as Faith did the same. Xander ran back to join with his people and that left Buffy and Wesley to face the front line.

Angelus ran after Faith, promising to come back for her. Spike and Dawn ran forward but Buffy never saw where they went. She was too focused on Willow, rising from the ground with lightening propelling her fingers and feet.

"Buffy-" Wesley tried to grab her attention.

Thankfully, from behind came Buffy's group of witches. Amy lead the coven and they formed a pack of spell casters, all aiming their magic for the floating Back Witch. It was a containment spell, something to trap Willow inside a bubble with her magic.

Buffy and Wesley stepped back as the witches chanted and watched as Willow's lightening started to taper off. Willow didn't seem that worried by it. In fact, she flicked her wrist and the electricity cut a line into the sand, just barely avoiding burning Amy alive. The group stumbled back and lost their focus.

Willow floated to the ground and knelt. She whipped her hand to the sand and shot the lightning into it with a sizzle.

Amy laughed, "I think your aim's a bit off."

Wesley shook his head and pulled at Buffy's arm as he had done multiple times and said again, "Buffy-"

Willow smirked and stood, "Not as off as you think." She held her hand forward again and the sand under her started to move. A crooked tube of glass pulled from the ground she had placed her hand and floated into the air. She flicked her fingers and the tube splintered into thousands of tiny shards, all floating in front of her body.

The coven of witches stared in awe at the display of magic and unconsciously took a step back.

Wesley shook them all out of the shock as he screamed, "Run!"

They all bolted for cover.

Willow flicked her wrist and the shards whistled as they spiraled after them. Only a few were hit, Amy having been given the worst of it. Luckily, she threw up a shield before most could touch her and the damage was minimal.

Amy turned to Wesley and Buffy and said, "She's really powerful. What are we supposed to do?"

"That's what I was afraid of," Wesley agreed. "Her demon half makes her more powerful than ever."

They crouched behind the rocks at the mountain's base as Willow slowly started to walk towards them. She held up her hands and a half a dozen humans fell in line behind her. Buffy could sense their power much like she could Amy's and knew those behind her were witches and warlocks. Knowing whose side they were on, probably those who dabbled in dark magic.

"And what's with the groupies?" Beth added from behind Amy's shoulder.

"Alright," Buffy breathed calmly, though she felt out of her depth. "Here's the plan. You guys take on the lackeys and Wesley and I will take Willow. We'll distract her and pull her away if we can."

"You think you can take her on your own?" Amy asked incredulously. "Neither of you know magic."

"I think I'm fairly-"

"Sure you are, Wes." Buffy smiled and turned to Amy. "If I can get her close enough, I can take her in hand-to-hand. I'm sure of it."

"How are you going to get close when she's shooting lightning out of her fingers?" Lucy asked.

"Wing it." Buffy jumped up and shouted, "Let's go!", before leading them into a head on attack.

Willow smiled and raised her hands, tickling the air with a few more crackles of lightning. "You never did know when you were beat, did you?"

"I don't know what you plan to do, Wills." Buffy circled back and led Willow's eyes away as Amy and her coven started to grapple with the minions. "Lightning can't kill me."

"You were never good at science either. I'm going to burn you."

"Even though you don't know where Tara is?"

"I can find out where she is, with our without you. Just knowing that she left you, well, that gives me a tiny cherry blossom of hope. She'll be home soon."

Buffy scanned the others. Amy's coven created a wall of magic and they were closing it around the dark coven, circling them in. But, just as she thought that was working, a warlock charged at it from the inside and sent a crack up the middle. Buffy shook her head to focus past Amy's screams and turned back to Willow.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Wesley said. "She left us to help you. She's going to put your soul back."

Willow threw her head back and laughed, "You really think she would do that? No. She's not strong enough. She wouldn't be able to face me. All that pain. You know about that, don't you Buffy? I've done a lot since my soul flew off. If it was shoved back in, she wouldn't be able to handle me. Not the blubbering mess of her Willow tree. The Willow she knew is dead. She's smart. She knows that. Besides, I don't think my body can handle a soul at the moment. There's a bit too much in here. Too much power. She can try, but she'll fail. And I'll be there to help her through it."

"By taking out her soul?" Wesley asked.

"She'll thank me when it's done."

"Only because she won't know any better."

"You're boring me again." Willow threw her arm in Wesley's direction and he was sent flying towards the rocks behind him. "So, Buffy," she turned to her with a smile, "do you know what the best thing about my new upgrade is?"

Buffy curled her fists and smiled back, "That you can't possibly get any uglier?"

Willow curled her lip in disgust, "No. There's so much power. Can't you feel it? I feel the connection with you, stronger than ever. You're so weak compared to me. Do you really think you can beat me? See, I can read your mind. Have I told you that? Well, let me tell you what I hear. You want to burn the demon out of me. With dark magic. Only, Wesley's told you that won't work. I'm all dark, baby. You can't touch me. Not with that, not with a soul. So, how else to save poor Willow? Trap me inside my head? How are you going to get that close to me? Because, I know you're scared. My magic hasn't been able to affect you before, not really, but I'm so powerful now. You can feel it. And, you know what? You're right to be scared."

Willow threw up both hands and Buffy suddenly felt herself flying through the air, the wind knocked out of her as she slammed harshly into the sand dozens of feet away. Willow easily flew to her, landed by her side, and started to talk again with her foot pressing on her chest.

"You know what else I hear? Poor Dawn, she's in for a surprise. And Spike, him too. Oh, Spike. How could he turn on you like that? When he loves you?" She laughed, "Don't I just sound like Angelus going on and on. Angelus, Angel. Oh you really are aren't you? You're going to let Faith do it. Kill you to save him. I may just have to help her with that. Just this one time. By killing you. Hmmmm. And then him."

"You're going to kill your new best buddy?" Buffy laughed through her teeth as Willow's heel dug into her skin. "I thought you two would be BFFs by now. Watching movies and sharing a homeless person."

"Well, I won't need him when I have Tara."

Willow's palm aimed towards her face and she rolled quickly out of the way before magic could make contact. She flipped her legs out and send Willow tripping to the ground before she jumped on top of her and aimed a punch for her face.

Willow kicked her in the side and she rolled through the sand, spinning to get back onto her feet. Willow send a blast of sandy air her way and she stumbled back with her eyes closed. Through their connection she felt Willow come closer and kicked blindly.

She made contact with Willow's thigh but Willow swept her legs and pushed her to the ground. Buffy reached for Willow's arm and rolled back, forcing Willow to fall behind her. She threw a punch, picked her pocket -thank Spike for the lessons-, and jumped out of the way, adding a kick to her head.

Buffy gleefully held up the stone Willow used to control the Beastraki and spun to find someone on her side. Wesley was still out somewhere in the rocks where she couldn't see.

It was a bit hard to sort out the demons and vampires so she ran towards Andrew the moment she spotted him and told him to take it to Gunn before Willow could pull her back. Which she did, in a matter of seconds.

Andrew nervously agreed to the spot Buffy had formerly stood and started sprinting. He ducked in and out of fights happening all around, nearly sent on his back when someone's elbow came into contact with his chest.

"Hey! Watch it! You could hurt someone."

He ducked and dove and crawled until he made it to the other side where he could see Gunn torching up a few vampires with a flamethrower. Andrew nervously approached him and called his name several times, nearly burning his hand when he went to tap him on the shoulder.

"What?!" Gunn screamed over the fighting.

"Buffy wanted you to have this." Andrew handed him the stone and backed away as Gunn turned for the vamps crawling at him and sent another fireball in their direction.

"Thanks!" Gunn yelled and stumbled back towards Rondell and Oz. Rondell had another flamethrower and sent funnel after funnel towards the vamps as one of their buddies mowed them over with their vampire slaying truck. "Hey, wolf boy!"

"That's me." Oz showed up next to him, reverting back to his human form after having slain a demon who attacked them with a samurai sword.

"Here," Gunn handed him the stone. "It controls the dogs or whatever. Willow uses magic but you're part dog so…you know. Maybe you can get it to work."

"Do it fast," Rondell added as he quickly switched to the crossbow on top of his flamethrower and dusted a vamp running towards his people.

The members of their gang not in the truck were fending off one of the Beastraki with nitrous oxide, but the didn't have enough to keep it down for long. They tried the whistle that Gunn obtained but it was no good. Willow must have put a spell over their ears because they weren't hearing it. All it did was slow down some vamps and piss off their werewolf.

Oz nodded, cupped the stone in his hands, fell into the lotus position, and concentrated.

Gunn eyed him nervously. Oz said he hadn't been in battle before, not while a werewolf, so he wasn't sure the little guy could keep his control with all the distractions going on around him. If he went wild, they'd just have to be sure to point him in the right direction.

Oz switched forms and howled. All three Beasraki stopped what they were doing. They howled back and galloped in Oz's direction. All three sat on their haunches and eyed the small wolf with their nine heads tilting to the side.

"Now what?" Rondell gasped up at them. "We can't kill them."

"Send them to Willow." Gunn said to both of them. "Maybe it'll help out Buffy. We can deal with these vamps and maybe help out the witches."

Oz nodded and barked up at the beasts, all three of which turned and growled at the far end of the valley. They bolted and Oz went chasing after them.

Gunn turned and yelled, "Andy!"

The boy nodded his head -though stayed stock still, too frightened to move since seeing the giant three headed dogs. "Go check on Faith." Gunn spun around as Rondell yelled and started to click his flamethrower into action. It wasn't working, gas was spurting to the ground, and he growled. "Go see if she needs help! If not, tell her to send some of those Initiative pretty boys our way."

"Yes, um, sir." Andrew nodded and started to shuffle back into the fight. He had seen Faith and Angelus heading for the cavern on the opposite side of the fight so he would have to make it all the way there without being killed. He gulped.

Vampires were fighting vampires. Demons were fighting demons. It was impossible to tell who was going to kill him and who was going to do it accidentally.

What made it worse for him was the knowledge that many of their people were in the mountain, acting as snipers with long crossbows, stakes, and arrows. He hoped he wouldn't get hit by one of those. A few of them had fire bombs provided by Initiative members...That would hurt.

He dogged magic strikes and loose punches and flying daggers and wayward fireballs until he cross the way and spotted the camouflage members of the Initiative being thrown in one direction or the other. He saw Warren in the back, tinkering with a robot to be sent it into battle, and he breathed out in relief at seeing him uninjured.

"Where's the Slayer?" Andrew asked Warren when he got close enough.

"Where do you think?" Warren snapped and gestured over his back.

Faith ducked as another boy from the Initiative flew over her head. Angelus was laughing and even dancing a bit as he backed towards more of the rocks. The boy snapped against the stone and fell. It appeared that was the cause for many members littering the ground. A few had blood pooling around their bodies. Andrew squirmed and relayed what Gunn said to Warren.

"I'll go help Amy and the witches now," Warren said. "There's no point here. Angelus is kicking her ass. My robots too. And they were all so beautiful."

"Right," Andrew shifted in place as Warren petted the face of his robot, the same form as his ex girlfriend. "Well. Um. Okay. I'll just-"

Warren left before he could say. He ran after him right away, only sparring a glance to see Faith dive from a punch.

Faith swore as she spun around and out of the way of another rock tripping her up. Angelus had led them to the cavern because it was dark, closed off, and hard to navigate. The Initiative members she was babysitting lit it up with fancy tech but that didn't stop most of them from getting their asses beat.

"If you wanted me alone, Angelus, you could have asked. No need to kill all my dates."

"They're a nice warm-up. Tiny tin soldiers tipping over like self-sacrificing pawns." Angelus grabbed the closest Initiative member and threw them against the stone to make his point. "I guess that makes you the queen."

"Aw, you sure know how to flatter a girl," Faith continued to circle, looking for a point to strike.

"Just you wait. I'm going to make this special. Dru took my chance at you last time. But she's not here now. You're all mine. And I'm going to taste you."

Angelus ran at her but she ducked his punch. She kicked his gut and sent him back a step. She quickly realigned herself for a punch but an Initiative member jumped in front of her. He took the hit with a crack and went flying into a few others. She could hear them scrambling but focused on Angelus' loose fist coming for her face.

She took the hit but rolled the pain away and ran for his legs. He tripped to the center of the small cavern and his falter in step gave her group a chance to surround him. She screamed, "Now!", and every Initiative member standing turned their taser on Angelus.

Most ends stuck across his skin and he twitched in the air, grunted in pain, and fell to the floor. Faith hollered, "Don't kill him!", at the sight of one member reaching for a stake.

"Just a precaution ma'am," they said.

" _Ma'am_ ," she scoffed.

Faith started to approach Angelus slowly. They had been fighting hard and fast and her body was aching for a rest, even for just a second before facing the rest of the shit show. If he was down, she could catch her breath, tie him up, and go save the world. But he was too still. Far too still.

He lunged as soon as she came close enough, pulled her to the ground, wrapped his arms around her, and forced her over his body. He kept his fangs hovering directly over her throat and painfully tightened his hold. She was forced to drop the stake she had managed to hold onto and cursed.

"Whoa, ho, ho." Angelus glared at the Initiative members starting to circle closer.

"You sound like Santa," Faith bitterly spat as she struggled in his hands.

"And you've been on my naughty list. We'll just have to see what's in my sack for your bad girl present." He snarled into her ear and she growled as he ground his hips up against her. "Like I said, I'm going to make this special. Just the two of us. No boys in green to watch." He looked up to the Initiative members, "You hear that?" He gripped onto the back of her neck and faced her towards every point of the circle. "Get out of here or I'll snap her tiny neck!"

Graham took rank and Faith nodded to him.

"Let's go," he said and led the troops still conscious away from the cavern. Bile rose in his throat at the thought of leaving her alone with that thing but they were outmatched. He needed to run, find Riley, and ask for more backup.

They shouldn't need it, this was pathetic. They were better trained.

Well, that's what they got for letting the Slayer be in charge.

He marched through the mass of fighting bodies, sent his men towards those in need of help, and ran towards Riley and Sam when he found them. This was the biggest battle any of them had fought together and he could see it on their faces. They were just as concerned as he was.

Riley greeted him shortly and he relayed what had happened in the cavern.

Xander popped up from behind and urgently said, "We have to help her. Let's go."

As he started to run with Graham by his side he was cut off by a very blonde vamp sighing, "Oh no. Now we found _him_. Bloody hell and commando is with him? Just blooming fantastic."

"Riley?" Dawn gasped.

"Dawn," Riley nodded sharply.

Xander flipped his stake in his hand and glared at both Spike and Dawn. They glared back before looking at each other, shrugging, and walking on.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"None of your business!" Spike yelled and kept walking.

"You've got to be kidding me." Xander huffed and turned to Riley who flipped out his taser. Spike was warned by the click of the gun and jumped out of the way before it could zap him.

"Looks like they want a fight, Nibblet," he growled.

"Fine with me," she cheered.

"What's with you and the Summers girls, huh?" Xander asked with a sneer as Riley reloaded his weapon. "You can't have one so you grab the other?"

"Do you hear that?" Spike smirked and looked at Dawn. "Sounds like he misses you."

Dawn gasped, "Is that true Xander? Do you miss the fun we used to have?"

Xander shivered as the memories of Dawn's experimental torture sessions sprung to mind.

"Hey," Riley snapped. "Why don't we stop talking and start fighting."

"Always good to know you're alive, Captain Cardboard." Spike smiled at him and rocked on his heels. "Let's me know I have the chance to kill you myself."

"That's not going to happen," Sam argued and raised a fancy Initiative device between them.

"And who's this?" Spike leaned over and inspected her face. "This your new squeeze then? Another bossy woman telling you what to do? Oh! And look. You gave this one a ring."

"You got engaged?" Dawn asked dumbstruck.

"Does all of this even matter?" Graham lifted his weapon and shot it off. It was a different kind of taser with three points of access spinning out in different angles for a shotgun accuracy.

Spike grabbed Dawn and they dove out of the way, springing the fight into action.

Xander ran at Spike for a chance to slap that cocky grin away but Spike blocked him and chucked him into Graham. Riley ran with Sam by his side but Dawn kicked him in the gut as Spike did the same to Sam. They tripped over the rocks behind them and nearly fell into a bush full of cacti.

The vamps shared a look of approval but were quickly broken apart by the stake sent spiraling between them. Xander was holding the crossbow and huffed when he realized how bad his aim was.

Sam dove for Spike with two small knifes projecting out of hidden compartments in her suit's sleeves, hovering over the back of her hands. She punched and scratched, looking to draw blood as he blocked the metal weapons and her dangerously fast feet.

Dawn ran to help him but Xander pushed her away. She barely stumbled as he came after her with his fists and a stake, having given the crossbow to Graham who had more skill.

She laughed and ducked his punches. "Really? You're going to fist fight? Not really your best area, Xander. Why don't you sit in the back and comment?"

He growled and looked at her face. He had avoided those golden eyes on his Dawn's face but he needed to see them. Needed to remind himself why he was fighting. He kicked and punched and elbowed her every opportunity he had, while ignoring Graham's pleas for him to stop getting in the way of his shot. He landed a few hits, but she had the instincts of a vampire.

She kicked him straight back, bruised his ribs, and pulled on his arm. She pushed him towards the rocks hidden in the sand and dragged him across the ground. She only stopped when she felt something jab into her side, small and sharp.

"Ow!" She cried and pushed Xander into Graham before he could take a shot. She didn't find anything from where Xander stabbed her and took the distraction as a chance to join Spike.

Spike had a cut across his face and was working up a sweat as he bent and twisted to avoid blow after blow. Sam was small and fierce and combined with Riley, their fighting style was brutal. They worked in harmony to tackle Spike to the ground and keep Dawn at bay.

They appeared to be winning until Spike turned on them with their shotgun tasers. He had pick-pocketed all of them and had two in each hand and gave Dawn the others.

They pressed the triggers at the same time and landed a hit on every human. They all cried and fell to the ground in agony as the electricity spread though their bodies.

"Come on, Little Bit." Spike chucked the taser to the ground. "No time to waste. We have to find Buffy pronto."

"I see her!" Dawn yelled. "She's over there!"

By _'over there'_ she meant next to Willow.

All the way on the other side of the valley.


	38. Burn, Baby, Burn (Part 2)

Buffy was gasping and panting as she dealt with the latest blow. Everything was happening so quickly, a blur of spells and dust. She wasn't sure how the others were doing. She hoped they were still kicking. Scratching. Biting.

Well, some biting. Not being bit. That would not be good since they were fighting vamps and who knows what diseases demons carry around and- oh god, she needed to concentrate.

Willow had been kicking her undead booty. Her limbs were sore, there was sand in her wounds, and Wesley was nowhere to be found –having been tossed more times than he could handle. Even when Buffy did land a punch on Willow, it made little difference. She was too strong.

Luckily, help did come. Unluckily, that help wasn't much help.

The dark witches Willow commanded were outnumbered once Gunn's gang, Warren's robots, and their witch coven joined in attack. The dark ones were incapacitated, with minimal injury on Buffy's side, but that only went so far.

Buffy's victorious group turned to help her fight the witch and everything went to hell. Well, more than it already was.

Gunn's group shot crossbows as he and Rondell sprayed fire in her direction. The robots lined up in formation and started to march around her as the witches regrouped to perform another holding spell.

Willow was having none of it. She deflected all crossbows and sent them funneling into the battle across the valley, hitting demons and vampires alike –dusting some on Buffy's side and on her own. The robots moved too slow to catch her and she floated into the air out of reach. As far as the witch's spell went, it wasn't working. Nothing could keep Willow down.

Gunn and Rondell aimed their fire towards her but she flicked her wrist and the tips of the flamethrowers folded in on themselves. The fire was trapped inside and they both screamed as they quickly threw them from their bodies and ran far enough away so the explosion would not touch them.

Willow laughed from above and called to them, her voice rising above the sounds of Beastraki howling, vampires screaming, and human bones cracking. "So you want to play with fire? Fine. Let the fireworks begin."

Willow lifted her hand and those on the ground lifted one by one into the air until they were floating on the same level as her. With a tilt of her head they burst into flames and dropped right back to the ground.

A few of the witches managed to catch themselves in their screaming and roll the fire out but not everyone had magic. Gunn was one of those -and without a weapon too.

Buffy had been too far away to see who was already gone –having been tossed so distant by Willow- but she arrived just in time to see him being pulled up from the ground. Rondell screamed his name and commanded the others to keep attacking with crossbows and spells that would not reach the Black Witch.

Gunn was screaming something about Oz and tagging on death threats but Buffy couldn't hear their phrasing. There was too much noise and too much screaming. Her own included.

"Willow!" She cried and tried to get her attention by flailing her arms. "Hey! Witch bitch!"

Willow looked down at that call.

Against the backdrop of a purple night sky, she looked unrecognizable. The traits of her dark magic –dark hair, spidery veins, and black eyes- amplified. A beat of glowing red magic pulsed through the veins instead of blood. The wind in the air and spiraling off her power swiped the hair from her face and showed the fangs sticking out over her bottom lip, shining in the glow of red. Her eyes were the strangest. Beneath that creased vampire brow, the gold irises sparkled under a cloud of black and snapped to Buffy's pure yellow.

"Let them go!" Buffy yelled when she had her attention.

Willow tisked and shook her head. "Poor choice of words, Buffs."

Gunn screamed. He instantly caught fire and a trail of flames lit up the sky as he was thrown, farther and higher than anyone else, over the valley, and directly into the middle of the fight. He didn't come back.

Suddenly, Buffy felt the earth under her feet disappear. Willow lifted her up and the others screamed from below. Willow's magic protected them from the wayward weapons and left everyone on the ground scrambling.

Willow smirked at her and whispered, "You lose," –going so far as to magically write those words in deep trenches in the sand below her body- before snapping her fingers and setting the fire.

Buffy screamed. The heat burned too intensely, bubbled up too quickly, and covered every inch of her body. She didn't burn up fast, but she could feel every part of her peeling away piece by piece. She desperately tried to pat the stinging flames down and forgot she was falling.

Willow threw her far. She collided against the mountainside with a crack and the impact forced black spots to dance around the surface of her vision.

Her skin was burning, her head was hurting, her muscles were sore, but she had to keep fighting or Willow was going to destroy everything.

She rolled around in the rocky filled space until all the flames disappeared into the sand. Then she crawled her way to the nearest stone where she pushed herself up and looked at the battle that was waiting for her return.

"Buffy?" Wesley croaked from below. She leaned down and saw him on a lower level of the mountain, holding his side and smelling of blood.

"Wes," she called, "you're okay!"

"For now." He coughed and groaned as he pushed to face her, unable to do too much with his side so broken. "You don't look so good."

"She's too much. Willow's too much. How-"

"Look again." Wesley gasped and nodded at the three Beastraki parting the sea of battling creatures and charging at Willow. Behind them she could see a small werewolf on their tail.

Buffy's army scattered and let the dogs take over so they could help the others on the ground. The beasts huddled around her floating figure and nipped at her heals as Petunia had in the streets, only this time she was prepared. She changed her magic from fire to ice and covered them all with blasts of chilly air.

The beast Gunn's group had been hitting with dry ice took it harder than the other two and stumbled to the ground. The others barked and fought harder to get through the chilly blasts. Clouds of cold white erupted from her palms and filled the air, so it was hard to see what was happening. Buffy, even from far away, could hear Willow screaming and saw her jumping above the mist, only to be dragged back down into it.

Then, out of the cloud stumbled one Beastraki with a large ice shard sticking out of its body. It fell. The other two were still going strong and Oz was circling them on the ground, barking and howling towards the sky.

Buffy's army was doing their best to fight those that were trying to run from the Beastraki. They circled Willow's army into one of the divots in the mountain, trying to lock them in. It was a slow process but they seemed to be winning.

The sounds were horrid but the smell was worse. All blood and guts and unnatural mud. Buffy was already down for the count. All of this, watching it all, watching those beasts fall, added onto her pain. It was making her consciousness fuzzy.

Then, Rondell yelled to Oz and the whistle blew. All vampires -and even a few others- cringed at sound –Buffy included- but it was the final prompt the Beastraki needed. The beasts leapt at Willow and she was forced to send them back with another few waves of ice. She was spinning and flying through the air, jumping and twisting as each individual head tried to bite.

Buffy saw and heard one chomp on her leg but she was gone a second later, so she couldn't tell if that chomp turned into a swallow. Then the Beastraki stumbled out of the fog with another big ice shard sticking out of its chest. The mist cleared and Buffy could see a very furious Willow coming face to face with the snarling heads of the final beast.

"Bad dog," was the final thing she said to it.

The mist that had disappeared reappeared in the space above. From it formed dozens of thick icicles. In a flash they all rained down on the beast and pinned it under plenty of deadly points. The final blow came from a large chunk splicing the three heads through the middle in one power driven attack.

Now even Willow was drained. She floated towards the ground with blood dripping from her leg. She appeared to be holding her hand over the wound, fixing it with a purple glow. But she was falling too fast to catch herself. She crashed to the ground where she came face to face with Oz.

She had no energy for words.

And all he could do was bark.

He pounced and she quickly pulled up a wall of ice to keep him away. He squealed as his face hit the barrier but scrambled to his feet and leapt again.

Buffy wanted to help him but she wasn't sure she could stand. She had to try. She pushed to her feet, jumped down, cautiously stepped over Wesley, and scrambled through the dunes to get to them.

Willow was panting hard and near breaking down when she sent the lightning strike. Her hair was standing on end as the energy crackled at her fingertips and she shot it towards him.

It missed Oz, but only barely.

Willow slipped out her other hand and fire followed. This attack stuck. The bloom of flames hit his side and the smell of burnt fur wafted into the air.

It spooked him and he jumped. Baring his teeth, he tackled her to the ground. Her head slammed against the back of a hidden rock and he barked over her body.

Willow was unconscious.

Buffy wasted no time. With fear of someone on the opposing side seeing her, she ran and lifted Willow in her arms. She carried her body back the way she came, jumped up the ledges she could reach –panting and groaning past her pain- until she reached Wesley. She lifted him as well, thanking the Powers that Be for letting her have the strength for both.

She ran up the side of the mountain and came to the cave where they had planned to perform the spell. She laid Willow down and gently rested Wesley against the rocks. He hissed as he positioned himself closer to Willow.

"I can do it," he said, holding up a hand before she could ask. "I can, just- Where's Johnathan?"

"Here," Johnathan popped out of the shadows and shuffled around Willow, staring with horrified eyes. He pulled the two stones placed in his protection out of his pocket and with shaky hands handed them to Wesley along with the magic book of spells.

"Go find someone," Wesley said to him and nodded towards the entrance. "Anyone that can help stand guard. I won't be able to in my condition."

He nodded, squeaked, and bolted for the entrance.

"Should we wait for-"

"No." Wesley cut her off with a gasp. "We don't know how long Willow will be out for. Now, lay down next to her and take this." He handed her one stone and she did as he said, "I don't know how long it will take, but it won't take as long as last time. Faith said it felt like a day in your mind. You should be able to find Willow easier than that. By my estimate, it should be within minutes. Then you'll be…Well. You'll be there."

"You guys will be fine." Buffy tried to give her best smile. "You don't need me. The Scoobies were protecting the world before I came back. You can do it again. You can win this."

Wesley returned her tight smile. "As long as you keep Willow locked away."

"Easy peasy." Buffy smirked and patted her bulky pocket. She hoped it would be anyway.

"If anything happens, I will wake you up."

"Got it."

"And Buffy?"

"Yeah, Wes?"

"Be careful. Both of you. I plan to see both you and Angel one day. I don't want you trapped in there forever. We'll be working on a way to save you. By saving her."

"Unless we lose." Wesley glared at her and she shook her head. "Shutting up now. Do the magic, watcher man."

Wesley started to chant and she saw the world fade.

Willow's head was different than what she thought it would be. With how dark she had become, Buffy expected torture chambers, dungeons, and absolute mayhem. Instead, she was facing a house. A small log cabin in the middle of a field with a forest not far behind.

Buffy looked down, around, and at herself. She had no injuries carrying over from the battle. She looked in tip top fighting shape. And she would need to be. Especially since Angel was nowhere to be seen.

"Willow?" Buffy called and reached into her back pocket for her stake. It wasn't there. "Of course," she whispered to herself. "Where are you?" There was no answer. "Olly olly oxen free?" Buffy shrugged and started down the cobblestone path so she could knock down the front door.

"It's ours." Willow's voice sounded from behind her and she turned on the porch to find Willow standing down the path with her hands on her hips, in the same tattered clothes she had been in on the cave's rocky floor. She too looked recovered from her wounds. Not quite so good there. "Tara and me. This was the home we always talked about. Our dream home. I don't see much in it now. Other than a death trap. All that wood? That's asking for a dusting. But if she still wants it, we'll get it."

"How are you going to do that?" Buffy hopped down the steps again. "How are you going to find your little slice of heaven when the entire world is going loco hellmouth bananas?"

"No one will bother us. The world can whip itself into a loco smoothie for all I care. As long as I have Tara and we are left alone, I really don't care what happens."

"So why don't you stop it now? Why don't you close the hellmouths and stop this war before it starts? Tara wants you to."

"Before it starts? Buffy, you started the war. It's already going."

Okay. Ow. Guilt. "You can end it."

"I could," Willow hummed and swayed her body in a circle. "But magic comes with a price. You should know about that." The smirk was not appreciated. "I'm not going to pay it. But I am going to kill you. That's one less pesk Tara and I will have to deal with."

"I'm giving you a chance, Willow!"

"And I'm not giving you one!" Willow raised her arm and the porch behind Buffy started to creak and groan as the panels of wood split from the nails holding them down.

Buffy ran at her but Willow pulled the floating wood pieces between them. Each section was magically filed down to a point and every stake pointed in Buffy's direction.

She fell back and started running to the house for cover. She jumped through the front door and slammed it behind her just in time as all the wooden pieces pierced the wood outside. A few windows at the front shattered from the force but none of it reached her. She slipped out a hand and pulled a stake into her palm before scurrying further into the house, barely having a chance to look around before Willow came stomping through the front door.

"Honey, I'm home!" She jeered and walked down the main hallway as Buffy jumped to the closest room.

Willow ran her fingertips over every surface she passed as she lazily made her way to the back of the house. Buffy jumped her as soon as she passed the doorway she was hiding behind but Willow did nothing to stop her hold. She simply snapped her fingers and the stake in Buffy's hand disappeared into thin air.

"You're in my head now, Buffy." Willow slipped through her hold with a simple thought. "I make the rules."

Buffy tried to grab for Willow's arm but she flicked her fingers and sent Buffy flying back towards the kitchen countertop. She pulled herself upright as the ache started to settle into her bruised back. How could she even get hurt inside someone else's head? Totally unfair.

She grabbed the first object her fingers brushed and quickly threw it across the room. The knife stuck into Willow's stomach easy, but she didn't flinch. She looked down at her gut, tilted her head, looked at Buffy, and without feeling replied with, "Ow."

Buffy scrambled as Willow lifted her palm again and a lightning strike spun in her direction. She didn't look behind her to see the damage. She twisted in and out of small hallways and bedrooms until she was trapped in the corner of a distant room. There was only one other door and it was to a closet. She had nowhere else to run.

"Can't run!" Willow cheered as she slowly banged door after door open on her way to finding Buffy. "Can't hide!" Bang. "Can't fight!" Bang. "Can't win!" Bang -she opened the door to the room Buffy was in. "What is the point of this? You are only delaying. But for what? No one is going to rescue you."

Willow's black eyes flickered towards the wall and the floor suddenly caught fire. Buffy gasped as the heat instantly spiraled around the room, trapping her as the flames took up every corner of the walls.

"I don't need to be rescued." Buffy sprinted over the bed and tacked the floating Willow to the ground.

She had one trick up her sleeve. A magic trick. Fight fire with fire and so on. She prayed that what Wesley said would work, actually would work and wouldn't leave her in trapped in this inferno. She almost laughed when she felt the necklace still resting in her pocket.

Willow was near pushing her off and into the fire when Buffy dug it out and forced it around her neck, locking it around the clasp. She jumped off Willow and watched as the necklace started to glow red and turn the white crystal into a dark shade of pure black.

Willow jumped to her feet and screamed, "What did you do?!" She raised her palm and Buffy cringed but she was not thrown anywhere. Willow growled and pushed out her hand but still nothing happened. She tried both hands and there was nothing. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

No lightning. No fire. No magic.

The witch tried to rip the necklace from her neck but it would not budge. She tried to unclasp it but the lock could not be undone. She tried to snap her fingers but it would not fall apart.

"I like to think of it as leveling the playing field," Buffy smiled as Willow tried to rip it from her neck again. "Wes called it something like cheesy hanger- or maybe cheese burgers- or maybe not cheese…Whatever. Amy helped make it. It's all magic mumbo jumbo. You should know about that." Buffy smirked and dogged a lick of fire as she walked closer. "As long as you have that on, you can't use your magic. Not in here. Cut off from all magic actually. Which means, you're cut off from your own head. You control nothing. You're just a normal vampire in a normal log cabin and that thing isn't coming off. Which is good cus that's a big rock. And, hey! It matches your outfit."

Those black eyes glared and she screamed again, the fire surrounding her seemed to glow brighter with the volume but it did nothing else. Then, a sudden calm washed over her, too sudden to be natural. "Alright," she muttered, "I can beat you without my magic."

Willow charged but Buffy was ready. She grabbed Willow's wrist and spun her around before kicking her in the back of the legs. Willow tripped into the closet and Buffy jumped over her to get to the door.

Willow was right on her tail. Buffy spun and blocked a messy punch before landing one of her own. Willow was trying to block her, but Buffy was better at fighting -inherit vampire ninja skills be damned.

With an accurate and forceful kick to the sternum, Willow went flying down the small hall. She only lifted herself with the use of a door that she threw in the way of Buffy's next kick. The shield was temporary. Buffy was fighting to rip it from her hands. Willow had to act fast and pushed with all her might, kicked Buffy in the side, and sent her through the jamb.

Buffy fell down a small flight of stairs into the basement of the cabin. She rolled to her feet just in time to be punched across the face and have a fang nearly knocked out of place. She hissed and kicked in the dark. Willow bounced back and landed against a workbench filled with various tools…and magical items.

She grinned at the sight of such magic and started to grab things Buffy couldn't make heads or tails of. Though, if she was grabbing them, that meant bad news. She didn't have magic but even those without it could do spells. Would the necklace go that far? Buffy couldn't afford to find out.

Buffy lunged at the table and Willow spun around with a large hammer that slipped from her hand and landed into Buffy's side. The force of it painfully tossed her into one of the pillars holding up the house.

Buffy grunted at the broken bone she felt snap but quickly sprang back, ignoring the pain when she saw Willow putting things into a bowl. She tried to knock the bowl away but Willow was protecting it with her entire body, taking the hit instead.

Buffy threw herself at the table but Willow grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the ground, adding a step across her chest to keep her down. Buffy cried, rolled under her, and kicked her away. Willow collapsed but leaned over the gap to get to the bowl. Buffy pulled down her arm and she growled. She grabbed the first thing she saw next to Buffy's head and thwacked it over her skull.

Buffy went dizzy from the hammer hitting her temple and black spots came popping back around the edges of her vision as Willow made it to the table.

Buffy tried to pull herself to her feet but when she moved an inch, the world moved a mile. She rolled to her side and kicked at Willow's legs, missing her completely.

Willow arched her back over the table to stay out of Buffy's range. She started to chant and a green glow just started to pulse from under her hands when it snapped away. The bowl was gone.

Buffy blinked away the pain and gasped in relief when she saw Angel pushing Willow against the far wall, exchanging hits with her.

"Get up, Buffy!" Angel cried.

Buffy did what she was told and made it to her feet. She ran over and helped Angel block Willow step by step until she was trapped into the corner.

Willow tried as hard as she could to keep the two at bay, but they were too skilled for her. With no magic, it was pointless.

Willow lunged -a reckless final attempt to slip between their legs and grab the glowing bowl from the floor.

Angel snatched the bowl from her hands and she jumped back up to reach. He twisted her arm in his and flipped her back against his chest. He had her locked in front of him with her hands behind her back. She kicked and cried and struggled but she was stuck. She wasn't strong enough.

"Angel, you're here." Buffy smiled at him, ignoring the squirming witch.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late. I got a bit lost." Buffy shrugged and he gestured towards Willow. "There's some rope in the corner. We can tie her down and keep an eye on her until Wesley pulls you out."

Buffy nodded and went to the other side to pick up the rope he pointed out.

"There's no point!" Willow yelled. "I will get this necklace off, I will get out of here, and I will kill you both!"

"Sure, sure." Angel pulled her to the middle of the room where the pillar stood. "You just keep telling-"

A flash of white light burned Buffy's eyes.

She squinted through the pain and forced her eyes to adjust back to the dark. As soon as she did, she saw Angel had disappeared.

The bowl of magic was on the floor and Willow's arms were free. As soon as Willow realized as much, she dove for it and started to slather the mixture on her necklace.

Buffy's stomach dropped and she frantically started to run for the witch but everything started to blur. Willow was chanting and the necklace was glowing a hot red but that was all she could see. Everything else was fading away.

Buffy gasped as she opened her eyes to the pitch black rock above. What had happened? Did Wesley pull her out?

She forced her eyes to adjust again and spotted Wesley. He was slumped against the wall, wounded worse than when she left him. There were slashes across his chest and he was losing a dangerous amount of blood.

A large puddle of thick red blood that filled her nose and snapped her back to reality.

The wounds obtained in Willow's head were gone. She could only feel the ache of injuries and burns from the battle before. The horrid taste of pig's blood lingered on her tongue. The burn from the smell of fresh human spun around her. But that all muddled out when she heard the fight behind her.

Spinning around she could see Spike and Dawn fighting off two others. With a squint she saw one of their opponents was Amy and the other appeared to be Warren. Pieces of his robots were splintered across the ground. There was another smell there too –another human- but she couldn't place who it was. Or if she could, she forgot his name.

Buffy pushed to her feet and noticed Willow lying there. She was still unconscious. Which was fine with her.

Dawn tripped over Willow's body from a spell Amy had cast and Spike was throwing part of a robot's arm at Warren.

"Help us!" Amy yelled at her.

Buffy nodded.

She ran forward and lunged herself at Amy, tore her teeth into that scarred throat and gulped down every drop of delicious magic flavored blood. Warren screamed. That scream was annoying -pulling her from her rush.

She silenced him by holding out her hand and ripping into his throat with her fingers. Another scream sounded from far off in the cave as Warren's escalated. She didn't care. She cracked Warren's neck between her fingers and threw him to the ground. The other scream distanced itself in the echoing cave. Whatever.

"Buffy?" Dawn gasped.

"Are you back, love?" Spike crunched over a robot to get to her.

She smiled over her fangs and licked her lips, "Back and ready for round two."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to bother me so I'm going to write a note.
> 
> The reason the Beastraki/Oz didn't get to Willow before Gunn and his gang did is because they were stopped by Initiative members. Oz only had so much control when the Initiative attacked and so that's why they were stalled.
> 
> It would have been in the last chapter but Oz's POV didn't fit with the flow I was going for. It could still be shoved in there but I didn't like it. If you have any ideas for making it known without this stupid note (sorry), then let me know. Please :)


	39. Round Two (The Poorly Named Part 3)

Buffy moaned as she licked at a drop of blood curling down her bottom lip.

Hmm. So messy. It'd been too long since she last had a real snack. And she'd have to have another soon. That pig's blood was still lingering on her taste buds and it was just disgusting. Maybe another witch would make it go away. Their blood was pretty strong and mixed with a shot of tequila, she couldn't go wrong. Now, where could she get tequila?

"It's really you Buffy?"

More whining.

"Shut up, Dawn. Of course it's me."

Wesley made some kind of pitiful noise from behind barely open lips and Buffy gave him a moment's speculation -if only to wonder what his boring blood could do for the ache in her bones.

"No Angel on your shoulder?" Spike asked.

Damn, that cocky smirk had her smiling right back as if she weren't mad at him. "No thanks to you. If you were as good in bed as you say you are, then maybe he woulda flown off sooner."

"All thanks to him," Dawn scoffed before Spike could argue for his pride. "It's because he saved you that he's-"

"Shut it, Nibblet. And I am good," he snapped back at Buffy. "I'm bloody fantastic. I'll take you right, right now. Don't need a bed to-"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll work on that later," she smirked at his scowl and turned to her sister, "And Dawn, don't shut it. What'd you guys do?"

"Spike-"

"Just a bit of mojo magic," Spike interrupted and tossed an empty bottle to her feet. "Sprinkle the juice, say a prayer, and hallelujah. A bit of soul-be-gone."

"Mhmm." Buffy frowned and stepped back to Dawn so she could block Spike's glare. "And what'd it cost for you guys to do a spell like that."

"He-"

"Nothing I couldn't live with," Spike interrupted again.

Buffy frowned at Dawn but she wasn't cracking –just staring at Spike with a pitifully sad expression. Whatever. She'd crack Dawn when it was just the two of them alone. And then probably crack Spike's nose because it was always his fault.

"You look good, love." Spike's inexplicable jump to joy had her turning on the spot. He was giving her a goofy grin and his stare lingered over every inch of her mangled body.

"Really?" She looked down at the burnt patches of skin and frowned at the blood covering her baggy clothes. Not all of it the good smelling kind. That hairy demon must have bled on her. Stupid mutt.

"You're beautiful. Missing hair and all."

She jumped a hand to the top of her head where she felt the uneven locks scattered around. "Oh shit. No." Her heart sunk as she came face to face with the tragedy. "No, no, no, no, no. I'm Mrs. Potato Head!"

"We'll call you patches," Dawn smirked.

Buffy tried to grab her bandana to cover the mess she must have looked but it was missing. Probably burnt along with her too-young-to-die hair.

"Stop fussing," Spike grabbed the sides of her face and pulled her up to his lips where he stole a quick kiss. "You look fine."

Buffy smiled and ran her hands over his as she stepped into another lock of the lips –dried blood stains and all. It felt so good to touch him again. To have the strong warrior in front of her, prepared to do anything to save her. She was considering taking him up on his offer of forgoing the bed until Dawn's gagging noises became too much.

"You can shut up again, Dawn," Buffy laughed.

"Can't you two get a room or something?" Dawn complained. "Like, away from here? Like a real room in a hotel far, far, away. Like in Brazil or something where no one can find us. Not even with magic. No spells, no witches, no gypsies."

"What are you talking about, Dawn?" Buffy almost turned around but caught Spike gesturing with a hand cutting across his throat. There was definitely something they were not telling her.

"Nothing," Dawn smiled far too wide. "Can we just get out of here?"

Buffy nodded and started to open her ears to the mayhem happening just outside their cave.

Shit, she let one of the humans run. No doubt they would know she was back. Scoobies would be swarming them any minute probably. And she did not feel like having another rendezvous with the old gang. She could hear it already.

_Oh my god. You're evil!_

_Again!_

_Gee golly, what happened? Was it my fault?_

_Was it mine?_

_Boo hoo, what have we done?!_

There was no need to stick around.

"Let's go."

"What about the witch?" Spike asked. "Shouldn't we pull her cord?"

"No time. We gotta get out of here before our friends decide to check up on our little adventure."

Spike nodded at her and Dawn started to lead the way. Buffy almost followed until she saw a tinge of red shining brighter than the blood soaked dirt and picked up the item causing the contrast. It was the ribbon Willow wore in her hair upon arrival. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be one of Buffy's favorite shirts torn down the middle and flipped in on itself.

Well, Willow wouldn't need it anymore.

"I like the color," Spike swiped his fingers over the fabric in approval. "Patches."

"I know," Buffy smiled and skipped after Dawn -making sure to step on Willow's face on the way out. "And call me that again and you'll be drinking blood through a straw. A very thin one. A coffee straw."

"Oh no," Spike swept her around the hips and dipped her into another kiss. "Not the coffee straw."

"Are you guys coming or what?" Dawn really needed to work on her annoying timing.

But Willow's timing was the worst. Only a few moments after the trio left did she wake up from that nightmare of a dream and rise to her feet.

She spread a tinge of magic out through every part of her body and instantly fixed all the small sores that had developed from the previous battle. She could move everything fine. There was no Angel to hold her down and no Buffy to stop her from using her magic. The necklace was lost somewhere in her mind. And that was where it would stay.

Now, where was the undead bitch that put it on her in the first place?

Body, body, robot, body. Dead bodies everywhere but not a single one hers. Wesley obviously bled out if that delicious aroma was anything to go by. Warren looked like he was hit by a car...or a guillotine. Amy was drained. Well, what could that mean? Only one way to find out. She had to exit the cave and hunt Buffy down.

From the view on the mountainside she could see everything. She didn't like what she saw.

Things were twisted around. They were not evenly matched and yet Buffy's side actually appeared to be gaining territory. This was definitely not how it was supposed to go.

Well…she could change that.

Up on the side there was no one looking for her. She was hidden. No one to reach her. No one to fight her. No one to stop her.

Buffy appeared to be headed right into the fight herself. All it would take was a spell. A single spell.

The magic in the air was electrifying. The thrill was so much more potent now that she could handle the power in her demon form. She shifted and breathed it in as she raised her hands and prepared the waves of fire to rain on her enemies. The heat started to bubble around her. She laughed at the rush it sent through her system and threw those palms towards the battle bellow. A black fire spiraled out of her, headed directly for the back of Buffy's head when a burst of white light blocked its path.

A great explosion sounded at the collision and when the smoke cleared Willow could see her spell had not reached its target. It had not gone anywhere.

Who could have done such magic? Amy was dead. Who else had the power to-

"Tara?"

"Willow," Tara smiled as she came into view.

She was glowing. Literally glowing, a white hue that covered every inch of her. Her aura screamed power and Willow instantly took a step away as she floated to the same narrow ledge she stood.

Willow knew she'd come back. She just didn't expect this.

Tara was beautiful. Dangerous. All around sexy.

"What-" Willow gasped. "I mean- How? You look all glowly and stuff."

"Yeah," Tara looked down at her body and even as her hair fell across her shoulder it too shone in the night. She instantly tucked it behind her ear as she explained, "I had a um- power boost, I guess?"

Willow's eyes darted everywhere as she tried to understand this light magic. The dark within her was itching to stomp it out, figure its weakness and exploit it from the inside.

But this was Tara.

"How?"

"I visited London."

London. The information instantly synced. "You saw the Counsel."

Tara shifted in place, not truly looking her in the eye. She twisted her fingers together as she went on to say, "Their coven is very nice. I explained what was happening and … well…here I am."

Willow took a peek back at the battle. There were no new witches. She would be able to feel them. Tara was the one holding all the magical power. The strength of many witches combined. "They gave you their power." Willow took another step back as she realized what that meant. She had a rival. An equal rival. That could only mean, "They sent you to kill me?"

Tara seemed shocked by the question and tripped over her words as she tried to reconcile. Probably fake. "N- no. I would n-never kill you."

"Then what then?"

"I don't want to hurt you." Tara lifted her hand and the light shot straight to her palm and pounced out of her hand.

The magic flew through the air and Willow had to duck out of its way as it hit the rocks behind her, sending many stones tumbling to the ground far below.

"But?!" Willow shouted and flung her hand out sending a lightning strike towards Tara's side. She missed, on purpose, but it was enough to startle her girl into jumping away –right over the edge of the cliff. "Tara!" Willow jumped after her, cursing her skittishness.

Tara managed to right herself in time and floated safely to the ground. A moment later Willow joined her.

"What did you do?!" Tara screamed at her, a rare occurrence for the quiet girl.

"Me?! You just shot me!"

"You're a vampire!" Tara screamed and the borrowed power spurt out again.

Oops. Her teeth were showing.

"Yes, I am!"

It was clear Tara didn't have the proper control as Willow jumped up and out of the way of two more messy spells. Willow prepared for the next one and blocked it with a spell of her own, the explosion lighting up the small dugout they found themselves in.

"Why?!" The next spell came and Willow wasn't entirely sure it was by accident. She pushed it away and sent it towards a cactus instead, sending many small needles soaring through the air.

"Because it made sense!"

Tara's eyes glowed white like the rest of her and magic shot out like laser beams.

Willow hadn't seen Superwoman coming and she was hit by the blast, sent back with the punch into the rocks behind. She grunted and pushed herself up, fixed her focus with a shake of the head, and ran back into their dugout prepared to fight. She sent her dark magic to either side of Tara's body and trapped her in but Tara pushed out with light and ran at her. Willow prepared for a hit but instead Tara stopped with her palm raised, slowed, and pushed it to the side so her magic wouldn't hit her.

"What's the point in fighting each other if we're not going to hurt each other?!" Willow screamed.

"I don't want to fight you! I want to talk!"

"About what?! I asked you to come with me. Are you? Have you changed your mind?" Willow stopped her yelling and searched Tara's eyes for some sense that she had come to her senses. "It'll just be the two of us Tara. Me and you. You belong to me."

"And what about the rest of the world Willow? What about the people? Our friends?"

"Who needs friends?! We have each other. They'll probably save the world anyway. What do you care?"

"I care because I have a soul."

"Oh, and I don't." Willow spun on her heels and rolled her eyes at the clouds. "Is this going to be a constant argument or what?"

"Baby, listen to me. I need to- Cordy?" Tara cut herself off as Cordelia came running towards her, not even stopping as she started to talk a mile a minute.

"Tara! Oh, wow. You're all shiny. Doesn't matter. I'm really sorry. But I have to do this." Cordy gripped both her cheeks in hand and slammed her lips against the good witch's mouth.

The glow of Tara's magic seemed to amplify but she did not use it to push Cordy back. Willow growled and did the magic for her, shooting a deathly amount of force at the skinny bitch with lips on her girl. Tara must have felt the blast coming because she threw Cordy away before it could hit her.

"Run!" Tara screamed and Cordy did.

"What was that?!" Willow screamed at Tara but their words were soon lost to explosions as Tara fought to stop Willow from chasing Cordy down.

Cordy ran before any of Willow's magic could catch up with her. Her legs were aching and her body was shaking as she dipped and dogged all the people fighting in front of her. Damn she was kicking ass –not literally. Not with her leg still wacked out, but it was a miracle she got that far.

And she had farther to go.

She had been passed out in the back seat of the car, growling at the upholstery as she argued with her body's need to stay out of commission. That was on top of the argument with her conscience for coming to the conclusion it had.

Then she had that vision.

She looked at the blood beading out of the cut in her stomach and thanked the Powers That Suck it was a weak one because she couldn't handle much pain at the moment. It made what she was about to do that much harder to face.

There was the entrance to the stone cave, hiding on the other side of the valley. Only a bit father, she told herself as she twisted the stake in her hand.

Angelus had hurt so many people in his long unlife. She knew first hand what terror he could instill on his victims. Even looking around her at the battle between what was supposedly good and evil, she knew it had to stop. Destruction followed him everywhere.

Then there was Angel. Someone she cared for so deeply, loved so much, but he carried such a curse. His light outweighed the dark inside, but his light was stuck inside Buffy. Safe.

She was going to miss him.

She had to take advantage of the opportunity now. Angelus and Angel were separated. Angel deserved a better end. Angelus did not. She had to end him.

Faith was just where she saw, kicking and grunting as she and Angelus returned blows in the small cave littered with dead and wounded Initiative members. They had been fighting for a while based on how gross Faith looked –sweat dripping everywhere and exhaustion clear in every punch. She had blood draining from her arm, bruises covering her body, and a broken nose to match.

Angel didn't look so well off either. Sure, he looked untouched but he was frustrated, that was clear. The moment Cordy walked into the space he took advantage of Faith's surprise, swiped her knife off the ground, and lashed out with it. It struck her right across the stomach –the same wound she obtained when Cordy had the vision. The reaction was the same.

Shock. Fear. Pain.

Faith stumbled back with a hand covering the slice and tripped over a rock on the ground. The only thing that saved her from death was Cordy calling out to Angelus.

"Hey!" It wasn't really original but Faith was safe -for the moment.

"Just a minute!" Angelus called back without looking. "Daddy's busy right now."

"Do you have to call yourself that? Can't you save your daddy issues for therapy?"

"Oh, Cordelia." Angelus played with her name, singing it as he spun to face her. "Cordelia, Cordy, Chase. I see your spunk is back. All fight, guts, and glory. Oh, I see some are coming out." He gestured to the cut on her stomach –nowhere near as bad as Faith's but the blood was enough to call his attention. "You want me to clean that up for you?" he licked his lips as he stalked closer.

"I don't want your mouth anywhere near me."

"That's not what you said before."

"That's exactly what I said before."

"Subtext, sweetheart. Your mouth says no but your eyes scream… actually they just scream." He twisted Faith's knife around and Cordy started to shift away, further and further until they were circling each other in the small space. "Let's hear that scream again."

"Let's not."

"I missed this!" Angelus excitedly screamed. "Me, about to kill you. You, sassing your way out of it." He sighed over dramatically, "But I will have to kill you this time. You're not getting away again."

"I'm not the one dying today. You've lived far too long Angelus. And you're not getting away."

"Is that right?"

Angelus' head jolted to the side and his body fell with it. Faith stood over his body with one hand gripping her side and the other swinging down from the punch. She nodded, "That's right."

Angelus jumped back up and wielded the knife at both of them. "And what about Angel? You're just going to kill your precious savior?"

"Oh, we're not going to kill him," Cordy said. "We're going to kill you."

"No we're not," Faith glared at her and turned back to Angelus. "But you're not getting away."

"What?" Cordy argued back at her. "Yes we are going to kill him."

"That's Angel's body. Where else is he supposed to go? He ain't sticking in B, that's for sure."

"Angelus can't survive."

"He can too. Angel will keep hold on him." Faith cut her off mid-breath, "Listen sunshine, we all got a dark side and-"

"And look at how well that's worked out." Cordy couldn't be cut off. She could argue her ass off, thank you very much. "How many times has Angelus broken out since Angel was put back in? It never works!"

"You can't-"

"Uh," Angelus snapped their attention back. "While I love the whole catfight idea, can we just get back to fighting? Sun's coming up soon and I don't have much time for chit chat."

"Gladly," Faith smiled and Angelus smiled back.

Faith ran at him with all the force she had left. He kicked her away and easily took Cordy down. She was never much for fighting and he was the one teaching her after all. He could see every move running through her mind.

She was still going to try.

Faith was back on him, kicking the knife out of his hand. Cordy picked it up and tossed it in her direction as Angelus lunged at Faith. He noticed the knife out of the corner of his eye and batted it away before she could get a good grip on it.

"Shoulda picked a better spot for our date Faithy." He laughed as he blocked her weak throws and laughed harder still when he kicked her in the gash across her stomach. "There was so much more I wanted to do to you. Oh well. I guess Cordy can watch."

"You're not going to touch her." Cordy charged with her stake raised but he spun and caught her by the wrist before she could attack. His grip was so strong she was forced to drop her weapon and gasp in pain as her joints creaked back and her knees buckled.

"Don't worry. I'll touch you too." He smirked and tossed her into Faith's side, sending them both to the ground, piled against some of the dead bodies hiding in the shadows.

Cordy jumped straight back up but Angelus punched her in the head and she was straight back on the ground.

Faith struggled to pick herself up. She only managed to stand before Angelus had her in his arms. His frustration peaked. He twisted her around and slammed her back against a nearby stalagmite. The crack of her vertebrae echoed far into the cave, muffled by the scream. She fell straight to the floor and he pinned her down with a foot against her hip. His weight was putting too much pressure on her. The sound of her hipbone snapping was just as loud and sickening.

"What kind of slayer are you?"

He picked up the knife dropped by her feet, making her cry as he put more weight on her broken hip. She struggled to push herself up but every time she moved, she screamed.

"You know," he continued. "It's sad really. You trying to be one. Buffy's obviously the better chosen one. See how that goes. Chosen one. As in only one. She's the one meant to be kicking. Not you. She did kill me once after all. Something you couldn't do. Something you could never do. She really is that much better than you. Even Angel knows that." He bent over and picked her up by the collar of her shirt. She howled at the pain, unable to say or do more than scream as he pulled her closer. "Now you're going to die because of it. Because _y_ _ou weren't good enough_. Maybe the next one of you will be. We'll just have to see."

He poised her favorite knife above her heart and readied for attack. Just as Faith was preparing for her imminent death, Cordy ran up with a large stone in her hand and knocked him over the head.

He growled, dropped Faith, and spun to her quick. She felt the world disappear beneath her feet as he gripped her by the throat and pulled her into the air. She kicked and struggled as the air disappeared from her lungs and her vision started to blur.

"Why can't you wait your turn?" he growled and tightened his painful hold over the scars he left marring her neck.

She gasped like a fish out of water and watched the glitter of excitement flash through his eyes.

"Angel," Faith groaned.

"Five slashes every time you say his name," Angelus snapped.

It was in his moment of distraction Cordy reached into the back of her jeans were she stashed the stake he had earlier made her drop. She quickly turned it on him and with all the power she had left -a sudden flash of adrenaline brought on like the force of a higher power- drove it into him.

"No!" Faith screamed over her pain.

Angelus' eyes widened and he frantically swept his eyes over the new addition to his chest –a thick stake jutting out directly over his heart. He tightened his hold over her throat as he realized his great rein was over. Ended by one simple human, in one lucky move. Well, not all luck. Cheerleaders had quick reflexes after all.

"Bitch."

"Baddest bi-" Cordy was cut short as his hand curled to the side and instantly snapped her neck. He screamed in rage at her dead body until his lips crumbled into ash –the rest of him following until he was nothing more than a tiny pile hidden amongst the dirt.

His unmarked grave would have went unnoticed had Spike not walked in a few moments later, chasing after an Initiative member looking to hide away.

They couldn't have that. Take no prisoners, leave no one to tell everyone Big Bad Buffy was back.

"So you wanna play a bit of hide and seek then?" Spike called to the air, though he could hear the loud pounding of the young man's heart only a few feet away. "I'll play a game with you. How bout hot'n'cold?" With every step Spike called out, "Cold. Warm. Warmer. Hot." He took a step away, "Colder." He jumped back and held the man up by the collar of his turtleneck and whispered, "On Fire." He ripped the fabric away and drained the man in seconds. His screams died quickly in the distant echoes and left Spike with the silence of the cave.

That's when he smelled the blood.

Slayer blood everywhere. And god that really got his motor running. He needed to get back to Buffy. Soon.

And there was the annoying one. Good riddance to Ms. Chatty. But what was that other smell? Many vampires had died this day but this ashy odor…it smelled different.

He ducked down to the pile in front of Cordy's body, just barely avoiding the streams of blood pouring from her ripped throat. That was vamp ash alright.

A slight movement to his right startled him. When he turned to attack, he saw Faith sprawled out on the ground, crawling across the rocks, crying out with every muscle that twitched. Her body was bloody –he could smell that- and her back was sticking out at an odd angle. She made another noise, something like a whine and a laugh mixed together. It was hard to tell with the tears streaming from her eyes.

"That's that," she brokenly whispered.

"What?"

"Angel he's- she- I can't believe she did it. He's gone."

"You mean-"

"Stake to the heart."

"Poofy went poof," Spike vacantly stared at the place where his former companion died.

Well.

Good riddance. It just wasn't as sweet when he wasn't the one having killed him. That was all. That's why he felt that small twinge of regret.

Then he really saw the pile of ancient vampire ash sitting in front of him and started to shuffle handfuls into his coat pocket.

"What are you-"

Spike jumped up and kicked Faith across the skull, bending her nose the other way, and truly knocking her out for good.

He ran back out of the cave to drag the Summers girls out of their little mess. Almost as soon as they had exited the cave they ran into tiny Andy what's-his-face. He was screaming and pointing and squeaking and had a gang of goodies following him. Buffy tried to argue but it was pointless with the blood dripping down her chin. So it was them three against Initiative tool bags, homeless teenage vigilantes, and righteous demons.

None of them were going to make it out alive if he had anything to say about it. He'd caught a couple runaways but Buffy and the Little Bit were still fighting.

Unfortunately, the shock effect of those fancy tazers must have worn off. The whelp and his followers –including Captain Crunch- had caught up and were back, arguing and sharing punches with Buffy and Dawn.

"You're gonna kill me, Riley?" Dawn gave them her best pout. Thatta girl. "I thought we were family."

"That was before your sister turned you into hostile." Riley made a move to attack but Buffy was soon in his way. "You are both soulless, evil monsters now."

"Oh so that's how it goes? One tiny bite and I'm as good as yesterday's garbage?"

"I'd be careful Sarah," Buffy said to his girl -and by the look on her face, that was not her name. "Wouldn't want that to happen to you." She flashed her magnificent fangs and bit the air. Spike couldn't be more proud.

Riley, on the other hand, was pissed and lunged again. Buffy punched him in the gut and sent him doubling back into his group. Each member was slowly trying to asses and get their own hit in. And failing.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you Buffy," Riley continued, "You and your sister."

"No you're not," Dawn sighed.

"I'm sorry all of this had to happen," Xander added on.

"Wouldn't have in the first place if you dweebs weren't playing with pixie dust," Spike said.

"Thanks for the reminder. You're first on my kill list."

"Oh, a whole list? Aiming a bit high aren't you whelp? For someone who got straight D's, maybe you wanna try something easier. I think I saw a dung beetle rolling around here. Maybe you can work on killing that."

Xander moved his mouth a few times –trying to come up with something to say to that- but his dung-beetle-killing brain couldn't come up with a response. So Spike hit him instead. Gave him a chance to rattle those thoughts around.

He woulda loved to hear what the idiot had to say then but everyone else decided to attack too. He dealt with Xander by punching him every time he came at him with his weapon raised, the stake easy to bat away, and even tossed him in the rocks a few times. He also dealt with the no name, no one cares Initiatives and others behind as Buffy and Dawn dealt with Riley and his girl.

Buffy and Riley were going at it pretty hard –having sparred together it was clear they knew a thing or two, but they each had practice outside the other with new moves to match. Sarah –or whatever her real name was- was also pretty good but Dawn, being the vamp she was, could hold her own.

Xander had been lost to the punches at some point –clearly knocked out this time. So Spike focused on giving the girls their time and kept away the others trying to join them.

Dawn had clearly been paying attention to her big sis. Sarah –or whatever- tried to come at her with a tazer but she kicked the wires away and stamped the ends into the ground. Initiative bitch was too stupid to let go of her gun and Dawn used the wires to pull her towards her and punch her into the nearest cactus.

Riley jumped into the picture at her scream but Buffy tossed him right back into the rocks.

Dawn used the human's shock against her and picked her up before she could reach for something like a real gun. Then it was just one chomp away and the new squeeze was as good as squeezed.

"No!" Riley screamed as her broken body slumped to the ground.

Dawn flicked her fang to her wrist and cut a shallow line as she leaned over the girl's body. She tore her head from the ground and readied to press the wound against her lips.

Riley couldn't make a coherent word as he lunged forward and tackled her away. Spike was there to deliver a much wanted blow to his big, fat forehead –what was with Buffy a fat foreheads?

Buffy and Dawn took him up then, exchanging blows as Spike kept the rest at bay again. Dawn was the one to hit him hard against the rocks and he fell to his knees –the fight driven right out of him at the sight of his dead fiancé.

"Do it." Riley demanded. "Kill me."

"Oh, I don't know," Buffy hummed as she ran a nail along the side of his neck and under his jaw. "Maybe we should change you. Coulda been with her if you let us but oh no-" Buffy sniffed the air, "She's dead now. You'll be alone."

"I'd rather die."

"Which makes me want to change you. You're not very good at this are you? Well, I always was too good for you." Buffy tossed his face to the side and turned to her real man. "Spike? You wanna do the honors."

Spike looked at the boy on his knees, kicked the demon he was fighting, and grabbed Buffy by the waist. "God, I love you." He kissed her full on the mouth as Dawn forced Riley to watch.

"You don't love her," Riley spat and spared a glance at his fiancé on the ground. "You're both just soulless, unfeeling-"

"Shut up!" Spike cried and punched that fat forehead of his. His head snapped back and Spike ripped that stupid turtleneck away so he could kill the dumb bastard with his teeth and feel his blood gush over his tongue -a fantasy he started having many years ago. The reality did not disappoint the fantasy. Riley tasted as sweet as revenge could.

Once he was gone, the three turned to the rest of the fighters surrounding them –many bruised from Spike and all pissed.

"Too bad Gunn couldn't join us," Buffy cooed to the members of his gang surrounding them, Rondell included in that few. "After what he said to Dawnie-"

"Do you have to call me that?"

"He was in for one hell of an ass kicking. His ass, my kicking."

"Well I'm just gonna have to sub then," Rondell adjusted the hold on his crossbow and aimed for her heart. "Cus if there's one thing I know, it's that my boy wouldn't've let you outta here alive."

"Death threats don't scare me. Haven't you heard? I already died. Twice."

Buffy leapt forward as he pulled the trigger. She dodged the stake and lunged for his throat. His friends were on her with holy water but Spike took care of them with a few punches.

They were dirty in their fighting, pulling on clothes and biting –but that just meant he could bite back.

He threw sand into the eyes of those closest and threw one of them into Dawn's open arms. She drained that girl in a second and he drained the girl in his arms in even less time. Buffy was busy wrestling with Rondell. She had him under her body and was currently beating the jelly out of his eyes with her knuckles.

"You wanna hurry up, pet?" Spike called between punches and nodded towards the werewolf stampeding in their direction. It looked like he had backup.

Buffy looked back, sighed, and ended the boy with a kick across the head –snapping his neck. "Where'd they come from?"

"Your boyfriend musta had a walkie," Spike gestured to the dead commando.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Damn straight."

"You two stay here, I'm going to see if I can get a better look." Buffy jumped up a few rocks at a time until she had a better view past the rocks.

"Good." Spike and Dawn continued to talk as they finished off the remaining group. "I'm not dying here."

"You might as well," Dawn mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not killing you Spike,"Dawn sighed as she killed another demon trying to slip away. "But Buffy's back so if you're turning to ash, it's not going to be by me."

"Hey, look at me. I'm not dying. Period." He killed the last of their attackers and patted his pocket as he walked over to her. "I took care of it."

"What do you mean you took care of it?"

"I mean what I said. Now be a good little Nibblet and shut it."

"Okay," Buffy jumped back down. "There's a pass that leads to the jeep through those rocks. We make it out and we're golden. Let's go."

They ran in the direction Buffy led.

"Shit," until she suddenly stopped and chucked both arms out so they collided with her. "Witches."

The coven of good witches were in front of them, blocking their path to the nearest car. Amy wasn't leading their little escapade, some tiny blonde instead. The coven hadn't seen them enter the pass so they weren't attacking, but they were up to something. Blondie was putting up a front while the girls behind her started to dump some things into a bowl and chant something out of a big dark book.

Why'd that spell sound so familiar?

"Spike, Dawn," Buffy gasped and Spike suddenly worried over how nervous she sounded. "I've got a funny question."

"Funny like, haha funny?" Dawn asked –also noticing her nervous tone. "Or what?"

"Ugh, pet?" Spike backed away as she did, looking for the demons right on their tail. They were trapped. Dead end either way. "Why aren't we fighting? Car's on the other side."

Buffy ignored him and asked, "Nobody shot you with anything right? No needle pricks or stabby things? You didn't feel anything pierce your skin?"

"Uhhh…" Dawn nervously hummed, "Why?"

"Dawn, tell me they didn't!" Buffy snapped and pushed them back harder.

"Why?!" Dawn screamed with a voice that jumped to supersonic octaves. "What'll happen? Why's it matter?"

"Did they do it to you?!"

"I don't know! Maybe! In the fight Xander stuck me but I thought it was a cactus needle!"

Buffy snapped her head back and Spike was really worried then. She looked absolutely petrified. "We need to get her out of here. Now!"

"What'd they do to her?" Spike grabbed them both by their shirts and dragged them back as the bowl the witches were working on started to spark.

"You remember that spell Giles did to you. To burn your demon out." Spike nodded at her. No need for the reminder. "He had to inject us with something in the blood we drank. When we -they were planning this thing they thought-"

"They injected her with mojo blood?!"

"They what?!" Dawn screamed and started to run towards the werewolf. Buffy and Spike scrambled after her.

"They were going to do it to you too if they had the chance," Buffy said to Spike after grabbing Dawn by the hair and pulling her into a nearby cave where they could hide and spy.

"What about Angel?" he asked.

"Well, no because-"

"Of course not."

"I had his soul. We were just going to, you know-"

"Doesn't matter now," Spike scoffed.

"Yeah. Soul-be-gone."

"That's not what I- Never you mind. Let's just get Dawn out of here."

"We're blocked in. We could run but I don't know how far the spell goes. It probably only affects one vamp at a time."

"Probably?" Dawn squeaked.

"They were supposed to stick as many vamps as they could, just in case. But once they see us-"

"Well, I'm not staying here." Dawn said and started to charge towards the side of the mountain and scramble like a squirrel up a tree.

"No!" Buffy yelled. "Dawn! They'll see you and-"

It was too late. They directed their magic towards Dawn's climbing figure and the orange glow spiraled in the air. The lava-like fireball formed and whipped in her direction. It was fast. Too fast for Spike to lunge on top of her, too fast for Buffy to drag her down. They both ended up in a lumped mess in the sand, watching as Dawn was slammed in the back by the heated dark magic. It flung her to the ground and she rolled through the sand with a grunt –knocked unconscious instantly.

Buffy screamed her name and ran to her, shaking her and hissing when her skin burned to the touch. When it became apparent Dawn would not wake, Buffy's furious eyes spun towards the witches and she charged. Spike took enough time to set Dawn up against the rocks and then went straight after her.

It was a bloodbath.

The witches tried to throw spells at Buffy but she was too fast for them. The worst was a castaway that hit down a rock the size of her head. It fell on her but she caught it and used it against them, throwing it towards the blondie's head.

She jumped into the middle of the coven and attacked like a wild animal. She punched and kicked everything in sight, no fun in the play –all tearing and ripping and breaking bones. When she reached the witch who had the book in hand she picked it up and used it against her, bashing the spine of the book against the witch's back until she couldn't move. She tore her teeth into that neck and kicked it so hard the skin tore clean from the shoulder.

There was a lake of blood at her feet by the time she was done. Spike barely had anyone left to kill. Only a few on the outside he quickly bit because he knew the others were almost to them and they needed to get Dawn out.

Just as Buffy screamed and threw the last dead witch against the rocks, the werewolf jumped out in front of them. He pounced at Buffy and Spike pounced at him.

He tackled the wolf into the rocks and the dog howled, a new smell of blood filling the air from the cut on his side. It was then a game of distract and attack as they took turns with the beast.

They were so focused on avoiding werewolf teeth and getting out of there before Oz's backup arrived that they didn't notice the lights taking over the sky as Tara and Willow continued to fight.

Tara didn't want to attack her. She knew she had to stop her but she didn't want to hurt her. Unfortunately, Willow was too powerful.

She managed to hold her in a bubble of magic for a moment but Willow was too strong. Even the power of the entire Counsel couldn't stop her. All she could do was keep arguing as she led Willow further and further away from the center of the battle- hoping to save as many lives as she could. If only she could contain her, she could get to saving the rest of the world.

"You never like my ideas!" Willow screamed as she sent more magic around her. Willow too couldn't seem to hit her on purpose but she was doing everything to trap her in, to lure her closer.

Tara broke away from the spell slipping around her wrist and yelled back, "Your idea includes taking away my soul!"

"You won't miss it!"

"That's not the point!" Tara gasped as her magic jumped away from her again, hitting Willow square in the head. It was then that she felt it –the small but powerful pull of light magic somewhere deep inside Willow. It didn't seem to fit the dark image fighting before her. 

It was strange for Tara, to have her magic shared with someone else -many people actually- but her instincts and the connection was clear.  Whatever it was, it needed to expand. That's what the magic wanted and that's what it did.  

Willow's scream was deafening. She clawed at the light glowing around her neck and sent curses towards her own body. Tara ran forward and dropped to her knees as Willow did, grabbed her by the wrists and made her stop attacking herself.

When she pulled Willow's hands away she could see the necklace forming around her throat, a large, dark jewel the center of the display –soaking up every spell Willow had just done.

Willow screamed again, pushed her away, and tried to send magic into the air. Tara could feel it fighting to push out of her but it would not leave her body. It could not leave. That's when she understood the necklace's purpose. She would later wonder about how and why it was inside Willow.

"Why?!" Willow screamed and Tara felt a piece of what was left of her heart break. Willow always said she was nothing without her magic. Tara wouldn't let her believe it but she never wanted Willow to lose it either.  She never wanted to be the one to take it away.  

"I'm sorry, baby." Tara swept her hands through that dark hair and tried to calm her. "I'm sorry. I just need to talk to you."

"Why?" Willow repeated.

"To say goodbye."

Willow's dark eyes jumped into view and Tara felt hands painfully grip the sides of her face. "Wait, Tara, baby, wait-  You said- But- I love you."

Tara felt hot tears brimming and grabbed at Willow's hands, "I love you too."

"So why are you going to kill me?"

"No, sweetie. I'm not going to kill you. I have to stop you."

"From doing what? I'm just building a life for us!"

Tara shook her head and grabbed at Willow's face, bringing those black eyes back into view. She stared into the dark and spoke to the girl she knew –the girl past the demon. "I know you're in there Willow. Somewhere in there. Somehow connected. I'm so sorry. I have to do this. I have to stop this war.  I have to close the hellmouths. So many people are dying. This is the only way."

"What are you-" Willow clicked the pieces together in an instant and her confusion turned to rage. "No. No, Tara! You can't! You can't kill yourself for them."

"I have to." The tears were really streaming now, making tracks in the dust covering her face. "I'm the one who opened them-"

"No," Willow argued and followed her as she stood up. "I am."

"I'm sorry Willow. This is the way it has to be. I have to stop this.  I love you."

Tara turned and Willow screamed, "Tara!"

Tara barely moved but she could hold Willow in place.

Somewhere behind the demon was the woman she loved. She leaned over, took Willow's face in her hands, and kissed her for one last time.  This deformed Willow had fangs molding her mouth and lips that were tinged with blood, but it was worth it to say goodbye.

"Goodbye, my love." Tara whispered and slipped her hand into her pocket so she could pull out the knife the coven had given her. She wished there was another way. The first time she was stabbed wasn't exactly pleasant and there was no magic to bring her back this time. Only a spell that ended in death, and that was it.

It was selfish of her to stay by Willow but she couldn't do it alone. Once she was gone and the spell was done, the magic of the Counsel witches would be returned to them and they could contain her. They would find her soul –just as they promised.  Contain Willow, close the hellmouths, find her soul. Willow could hate her then. When she was gone.  Hopefully she would one day understand. For now, she just had to be there.

Tara chanted the memorized words to the sky and the clouds started to shift in the air. Instead of creating a dark cover –as they had the first time- they opened up a path to the moon and the stars. A clear way for her to contact the Powers That Be and ask them to accept her sacrifice.

A soul for a soul, a death for a death.

It was supposed to be her.

The silver blade glowed white in her hands as she poised it above her. It floated in the air, hovering just above her chest. She sunk her feet into the sand and closed her eyes –feeling the world around her for one last time. She could hear nothing but the wind whipping around her ears. Feel nothing but the pounding in her chest and the heat of fear clouding her body. See nothing but the glow of her magic around her.

Her thoughts were only of Willow.  The happy, redheaded Willow she first met at college.  The beautiful girl with a wonderful secret and a quirky smile.  The girl who made her a better person, who made her believe in herself, and love harder than she ever thought she could.  She would see that girl again. 

Focus on the light. 

Her voice shook and she stuttered as she finished the monumental spell, "Ac-accept our gift, Hades. The l-l-life of the young to j-join you in the- in the underworld. So I've said it, so it shall- shall be."

Her body braced itself for the pain, –but it did not come. Instead she was thrown and tackled to the ground below. She jumped up and whipped around to find Willow with the knife in her chest, the white glow slowly pouring through her risen veins and illuminating every inch of her body.

"Willow! What have you done?" She scrambled over to her and pulled her into her arms. "I can't stop it."

"Then don't," Willow gasped. The black of her eyes started to fade back to white and Tara blinked through her tears in order to see that lovely shade of green again. "If you would rather kill yourself than be with me, I would rather be dead."

"No, baby. That's not-" The glow burst through her body and faded just as quickly –stealing the light from her eyes. "Willow?" Tara shook her. "Willow, please. Stop." She didn't move. "Willow! I love you. I love you. No. No, no, no. Baby. I want to be- I want- No-"

The air crackled and a great burst of light sprung from the body in her arms. It collected into a cloud springing in front of the moon and burst through the air with a loud crack, spinning in every direction like smoke and spiraling out towards the horizon at an immeasurably fast pace.

The demons cried out and, those that had the ability, ran as fast as they could to hide from the explosion setting fire to the sky. Droplets of those white flames started to fall to the ground and many of them burned the demons residing there. Among those avoiding the fiery rain were Buffy, Spike, and Dawn.

Covered in blood and panting hard, they were already safe inside a stolen car with Spike slamming on the gas, and Buffy holding a too-hot Dawn in the backseat. The orange that filled the car was nothing compared to the glow in the sky but it was all Buffy cared about. The book in her hands creaked under her bruising grip and she cursed all that took part in this tragedy.

They were going to pay.


	40. Coming Home

Well... -Buffy breathed in the smell of baklava, grape leaves, and rich blood that mixed into the salty air- it wasn't Brazil.

Suddenly she was sliding through a puddle of that blood staining the white tile as Spike scooped her up against the wall for another round of 'proving himself'. She couldn't say she minded. She'd take being fucked up a wall over lusty daydreams any day. And without a soul blocking her path to happiness, she had to admit, he was good.

He ran a hand through her luscious curls and she wondered if it was time to cut it again. She missed the edgy bob but she would miss the way Spike yanked it back more -throwing her neck out so he could take a tiny taste from a shallow gash on her smooth skin. She moaned as the adrenaline jumped in her system and pulled him closer by digging her heels of her boots sharply into his back.

These were the moments she wanted. Moments where she could feel her power thrive and her demon hum. Moments of absolute freedom.

She'd had many of these fleeting moments since leaving that Sunnydale desert. The hellmouths were closed and the demons that lived were letting their own hell loose but she didn't have to deal with it and she didn't care.

Sure, she missed being queen. It was nice to have that many people listening to her, scared of her, and it was heaven to leave her frienemies a quaking mess. But world domination seemed a bit much after the ordeal she went through. She had the power, she could do anything she wanted. Maybe not lead an army, not just yet. Her plans were much more reserved now. Practical and delicious.

Just like her blood dripping down Spike's chin. She flicked out her tongue and groaned as Spike's hips picked up the pace, bucking her against the nearest picture, sending it to the ground with a glass-shattering smash. She gasped and scraped her claws across his back, drawing blood in an instant. She could hear him groan too and she knew he came.  With a lick of her lips, she did too.

They moaned and kissed as they slid back to the ground to fix their ruffled clothes and lick the evidence away. Spike felt inclined to lick more than just the blood, taking his time between her thighs until she came again.

Yup. These were the moments.

She sighed and filled another cup up with ouzo before slipping out onto the terrace and looking out over the Mediterranean sunset. Spike filled a glass of his own and stepped over the dead bodies blocking his path to get to her. He circled her from behind and she leaned into him, enjoying feel of his strong arms.

She took that moment for what it was and promptly smashed it into bits.

"I found this note in your pocket," she said as she pulled the note out from under her new black lace bra. She unfolded the paper to show him the message written in scrawling letters.

_Dawn,_

_I have received your payment. You owe me no debt._

_Do not contact me again._

_Ever._

"Putting your hands where they don't belong?" Spike teased and stole it from her, pushing it into the back of his jeans.

"It's addressed to Dawn so why do you have it? What's the payment this mystery person received?"

"You ask too many questions," Spike tried to distract her with another kiss but she smashed his face against her palm and pushed him away.

"And you never answer me." He kissed her palm–another distraction but she let him do it anyway. "I know it's about the soul. Should I be worried?" He hummed in disagreement against her wrist. "You and Dawn are all I have left. You can't be lying to me. I've had enough of liars."

"We're not lying. We're just not telling."

"That makes me feel so much better."

He smirked and swept her up onto the railing, his hips already grinding into her thigh in an attempt to start round…was it four or five... five and a half? "C'mon, pet. It's done now. No need to worry your pretty head over it."

"My pretty head is going to bash yours in pretty soon."

"Feisty," he snarled and scraped his human teeth across her neck.

She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her and pulled him closer. "Nothing's going to happen to you or Dawn. Especially not because of me."

"I promise. Cross my demon heart, nothing's gonna happen to either of us."

She gave him a weak smile that he promptly scooped between his lips. "Not like more can," she murmured into his mouth. "Should we wake Dawn up? Go out for a midnight snack?"

"I'm already up," Dawn huffed from their bedroom door. "Your pounding, of what I can only hope was a new picture frame, woke me."

"Sor-" Buffy giggled as Spike bit her neck again before he left to find his shirt. She forgot where she tossed that. But, oh, those scratch marks looked yummy. A few of them were still bleeding. Well, she could save that treat for later. "Sorry, Dawnie."

"Shut up, patches."

Buffy frowned at the nickname Dawn would not let die. "How're you feeling?"

"The same."

"We'll hit up the demon bar. That warlock is supposed to be there tonight. We'll talk to him and-"

"And what? There's no point. Everyone's answer is the same."

"We'll find someone with a different answer."

"Face it. I'm stuck like this Buffy. I'm human. I'll be human till the day I die."

"You are not going to die."

The spell. It had been completed and unlike Spike, Dawn never turned around from her de-demonizing. She was a soulless human. Thumping heart and all.

The wait for her to come around from her glowy, orange, fire state was painfully long and the wait for her to turn back was even longer. For weeks they looked for a cure –scoured the spell book for a reversal. They came up with nothing. So they took to scouring the globe instead –jumping from coven to coven and lead to lead in an attempt to find someone who could help them. All while looking over their shoulder, expecting to see one of the Scoobies coming after them. They never did.

The conclusion was that magic had to be the answer. No one seemed to have one other than that. The magic was too dark and lasted too long. But there was always a way to reverse things. Always.

Buffy was hopeful, Dawn…not so much.

"I'm not good!" Dawn argued. "I can barely lift a pencil."

In their many night of hunting for the cure, Dawn had started practicing magic. It seemed to give her something to do and they needed a witch when it came time to do the spell anyway. Whether that spell be for her demon or too keep her immortal.

Buffy didn't really trust witches now.

"That's how Willow started, and look at what she became."

"Dead."

"Before that."

"I can't do it. We'd need a gypsy and-"

"No."

"How many times do I have to say it?! I don't want my soul, but we need their help. We know one. Even if she doesn't like us. I mean-"

"No gypsies. I won't argue over this again."

Buffy always won this anyway. Dawn knew it was pointless and pouted, "You two go out. I'm going to … oh who cares."

She loudly slammed the door on her way out. Teenagers.

Spike came back into the picture, pet her tense shoulders, and asked, "Should I go after her?"

"No. Let her sulk. She's right."

"You'll find a way to fix her."

Buffy had tried so many things. The last spell they tried had Dawn in a coma for a week and the time before that she lost feeling in her legs and couldn't walk –just as she had before changing. Luckily, neither spell lasted. It made her nervous to try more.

They even tried to change her. The vampire blood didn't take. Not even the Slayer blood could do it. They had to rush Dawn to an ER in order to get blood back into her body in time.

Dawn very well could die. And it made Buffy furious.

She shoved off Spike and started to pace, "All of this power and I can do nothing. I can't help her!  Why did they have to hurt Dawn? Why can't they just leave us alone?!" Buffy screamed and kicked a whole into the wall closest to her. "If we don't get anything with this lead, we're going back."

"Back?

"I can't have them think they won. They broke our family with that spell. If they want what's left of their feeble little lives, they will find a way to change her back."

"Always back to Sunnydale. Alright," he downed his drink and shrugged. "Hell and back and all that."

Buffy nodded quick but spun away when she heard the small cries of the whimpering human in the corner of the room. "You're not dead yet?" Buffy had wrapped her headband around that guy's throat an hour ago. The knot must have come undone. She sighed, stomped over to him and ripped it off his body, jamming the heel of her boot towards his heart in the process –killing him almost instantly.

* * *

Tara gasped as the world started to come back into view. She was blinking up at a blue sky, not a dark one. Her chest was no longer bleeding out. She was on the ground, outside the airport, breathing quick and hurried –completely unharmed.  They had just gotten back from London. They were in LA, not Greece, and on their way to Sunnydale to visit Willow's grave for the first time since her burial.

These were the facts but they came shaky -not helped by the headache that started pounding away.

"Tara?" Xander was quickly there, holding her up from the ground and checking her aching head. He looked fine. That was good.

"What happened?" Oz asked. Right, Oz was there too, holding a scarred hand over a scarred face in order to block out the light.

"She alright?" Faith was there too, pressing her good leg against the ground and leaning over her wheelchair in an attempt to get a better look.

"Buffy," Tara gasped and tried to understand the vision she had seen. It was fragmented and she couldn't really make sense of the memories. They thought Buffy was ashes, dead with the rest of them in the explosion. "She's with Spike and Dawn and…and they're coming home."

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll add final notes later.


End file.
